CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As rescue operations unfolded, the body of a coal miner was located early Thursday in a mine that experienced significant flooding in southern West Virginia, as confirmed by Governor Patrick Morrisey.
The tragic discovery was made inside the Rolling Thunder Mine, operated by Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc., located near Belva, approximately 50 miles east of Charleston. The miner had been missing since last Saturday when a crew accidentally accessed an unknown water pocket while working approximately three-quarters of a mile into the mine.
In a statement, Governor Morrisey mentioned that the flood was triggered after an old mine wall was compromised, and that more than a dozen miners were accounted for following the accident.
This incident marks the third fatality at an Alpha facility in West Virginia in 2023. Earlier in the year, two other miners lost their lives under similar circumstances: one during elevator testing at a processing facility in Raleigh County, and the other when a coal seam collapsed at another underground operation.
To expedite the search efforts, crews implemented drilling techniques and deployed dive teams to inspect areas where air pockets might exist within the flooded sections. The National Cave Rescue Commission assisted by providing communication equipment designed for underground use.
According to available records, the Rolling Thunder Mine is one of several underground and surface mines operated by Alpha Metallurgical Resources in West Virginia and Virginia. Morrisey reported that the area adjacent to the mine was previously operated by an abandoned mine from the 1930s and 1940s.
In the wake of this tragedy, a comprehensive review of safety standards and mining operations is likely to follow, as historical water-related accidents in mines have led to increased scrutiny of safety protocols.
A February report noted the Rolling Thunder coal seam as a previously well-explored area with no considerable hydrological concerns reported. The company is now faced with addressing the questions surrounding this recent incident amidst past tragedies in mining history.
