Coal Firm Accused in Blast Killing 8 Virginia Miners
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<i> Associated Press</i>
ABINGDON, Va. — A coal company and two employees have been charged in a methane gas explosion that killed eight miners in Virginia’s worst mining disaster in 34 years.
Southmountain Coal Co., Freddie Deatherage, superintendent, and foreman Kenneth Brooks were charged Thursday with 31 counts of failing to conduct safety tests that could have detected the buildup of gas, failing to dilute the gas and falsifying records to cover up violations.
A cigarette lighter ignited the gas in the 1992 blast.
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