Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Oct. 30 -- Nine miners were killed in a gas explosion in the No. 7 colliery of the Susquehanna Collieries Company at Nanticoke, near here, today, according to word received here. Company officials were without definite information.
Mine rescue squads were rushed to Nanticoke from mines in this vicinity.
Later reports stated that nine miners were trapped by a terrific explosion of gas a few minutes after they reported for work.
Two bodies have been removed and rescue squads are trying desperately to reach the other seven, all of whom were believed to be dead.
Cave-ins and deadly blackdamp prevented the rescuers from reaching the entombed miners.
The bodies recovered were those of:
Anthony Kaminski, 23
Joseph Novak, 42
The other victims, still inside the mine, are:
Andrew Novak, 35
Louis Novak, 40
Joseph Markarczeik, 38
John Koshinski, 23
John Wadas, 23
Joseph Bodarka
Joseph Mikeleuski
Four of the victims were related, three being brothers and the fourth a son-in-law.
Fifteen miners were employed in the section of the mine wrecked by the explosion. The others were on their way in and would have been entombed also had the explosion occurred five minutes later.
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