This page contains links related to the disaster which occurred at the Sago Mine, Tallmansville, West Virginia, owned by the International Coal Group.
Twenty-nine coal miners went underground
at International Coal Group's Sago Mine near
Buckhannon in Upshur County, West Virginia,
on the morning of January 2, 2006.
At
6:26 a.m., a methane ignition in a recently
sealed area of the mine triggered an explosion
that blew out the seals and propelled smoke,
dust, debris and lethal carbon monoxide into
the working sections of the mine. One miner
was killed by the blast. Sixteen escaped.
Twelve were unable to escape and retreated to
await rescue behind a curtain at the face of the
Two Left section.
Approximately
41 hours later, under the direction of Kevin G. Stricklin, Acting Administrator for MSHA, mine rescuers entered the mine and found the trapped miners. As a result of this extended delay, all but one, Randal McCloy Jr., had succumbed from carbon monoxide asphyxiation.
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