12 miners dead, 1 critical
 

Earlier tonight some of you might have heard that they found 12 miners from the W. Virigina coal mine explosion alive. Well the reports were wrong.

Earlier in the day they had found 1 of the bodies in a mining car. Then 2 hours ago all news reports stated that they found the remaining 12 alive.

And now they are saying that only one is alive. He is in critical condition.

The family members are of course peeved at having been lied to.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060104/...ltBHNlYwM3MTY-

Family members learned early Wednesday that 11 of the 12 coal miners who were initially thought to have survived an explosion in a coal mine have died.

Families learned of the deaths from mine officials more than three hours after Gov. Joe Manchin said he had been told 12 of the miners survived the disaster. The sole survivor of the disaster was hospitalized, a doctor said.

International Coal Group Chief Executive Officer Ben Hatfield told the families that only one miner, Randal McCloy, had survived the explosion.

Hatfield told the families gathered at the Sago Baptist Church that "there had been a lack of communication, that what we were told was wrong and that only one survived," said John Groves, whose brother Jerry Groves was one of the trapped miners.

At that point, chaos broke out in the church and a fight started.

Hatfield said the erroneous information spread rapidly when people overheard cell phone calls between rescuers and the rescue command center. In reality, rescuers had confirmed finding 12 miners and were checking their vital signs, he said.

"The initial report from the rescue team to the command center indicated multiple survivors," Hatfield said during a news conference. "That information spread like wildfire, because it had come from the command center. It quickly got out of control."

Hatfield said the company waited to correct the information until it knew more about the rescue.

man, between this and that family being gagged, stabbed, and burned to death in there basement. the viriginia area is a pretty scary area right now.

That's terrible.

What really pisses me off about this is that the mine company knew these guys were dead 12 minutes or something after it was "miscommunicated". Yet they still let those poor families rejoice and celebrate for almost three and a half hours before telling them the truth.

I went to bed last night after seeing on the news that they had been found alive...then woke up to this. My heart goes out to them. I know exactly how it feels to be given false hope and then find out the worst.

if i was one of those family members, the mine officials would not have made it out of that church.

:o That is pretty sad-those news reporters are going to get their butts kicked for false info.

It's not the reporters it's whoever the mysterious person was that announced they'd been found alive.

What? Oh that is a sick CRUEL,CRUEL lie! I hope they find the idoit who said that

It is sad... but this was also a risk these people took when they took this job.

Yes, it was wrong, the miscomminucation... But has anyone thought that after they found out the truth about the number of survivors, they had to plan how to right this information? I'm only trying to see both sides here.

And, sad as it is... I find the violent reactions of the families rediculous. (And before anyone asks, Yes, I have been in that false hope situation, so I do know what I speak of)... They're only making it all worse with these violent outbursts. Must this whole situation be more tainted with that? Starting a fight? Especially in a church. *shakes head* That's sad, too. And actually more infuriating.

You are right about the violence, Jo...though I still think that if I had been in the room and not thinking clearly it would have been hard for me to compose myself. i admit, I am quick to anger and it is a problem i deal with daily :)

I also agree that they were probably trying to find....the right way...to tell people, but three hours is a little long IMO.


I do so love friendly debating :) thanks for this :)

Not a problem. Always up for a friendly debate, myself. (As long as it stays friendly. ;) :) )

Aye, but I agree with you also... Three hours is a tad too long. Methinks they were, for lack of a better word... Scared.

Oh I make it a rule not to bite :)


And yes, I do believe you are right about them being scared