A mining executive has apologized for a "tragic miscommunication" that led families to falsely believe 11 miners survived an accident at a West Virginia coal mine.

People in a church near Sago Mine celebrated for three hours overnight after hearing false reports that 12 of 13 men who had been missing since an explosion Monday had been found alive.

Then mine officials told the victims' families that only one man had survived, a 27-year-old who was in critical condition in hospital.

Ben Hatfield, the CEO of the company that owns Sago Mine, says rescue workers were operating under difficult conditions that hampered communications.
Ben Hatfield, the CEO of the company that owns Sago Mine, says rescue workers were operating under difficult conditions that hampered communications.

A 13th miner had been found dead earlier Tuesday night in the coal mine, which is in the central part of the state about 160 kilometres from Charleston near the town of Tallmansville.

Ben Hatfield, CEO of International Coal Group, said the company "fully" accepts criticisms over its handling of the incident, adding that officials "sincerely regret" the "tragic miscommunication.

"In the process of being cautious, we allowed the jubilation to go on longer than it should have," Hatfield told a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Sole survivor Randal McCloy, 27, suffered a collapsed lung and dehydration.
Sole survivor Randal McCloy, 27, suffered a collapsed lung and dehydration.

He said the problem started at about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday when rescuers inside the mine contacted the command centre, which somehow got the impression that 12 miners had been found alive.

Hatfield said the mine never officially released the information, but some workers overheard the conversation and telephoned the families.

Face masks and radio connection may have garbled message




Hatfield and another company executive, vice president Gene Kitts, didn't assign blame but offered several possible explanations for the misunderstanding.

They said rescuers below the surface were using code words over an imperfect radio connection while wearing full-face oxygen masks.

Then for 45 minutes they were too busy to call back because they were checking the miners for vital signs and rushing the survivor to the surface.

The mine officials also said many rescuers were exhausted after working non-stop since the explosion trapped the men about 80 metres below the surface of the Sago Mine.

"You have a desperate group of people who have been on their feet for 30 to 40 hours trying to save lives," said Hatfield, adding that many were relatives, friends or colleagues of the victims.

"They were looking desperately for good information. Just as we did, they were clinging to hope."

'We believed that word had been sent to the church,' mine official says

Hatfield, who repeatedly choked up and got tears in his eyes during the news conference, said the command centre received a second and conflicting report about 45 minutes later that indicated 11 miners were dead.

He said he and his officials didn't want to give false information, so they waited until the number and identities of the dead had been confirmed. That happened at about 2 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

Hatfield said that once conflicting reports emerged, officials called clergy at the church and asked them to warn the families.

However, Hatfield said the information apparently wasn't passed on immediately.

Company 'straight-out lied,' says angry relative of victim

The families and friends of the miners had been celebrating at the church, singing hymns, ringing church bells and taking to the streets shouting, "They're alive!"

They didn't learn of the mistake until about 3 a.m., when Hatfield himself came to the church and broke the news.

Joy turned to fury, as people shouted and swore angrily. Witnesses said a fight started and one man tried to tackle a mine official.

Many people in Sago expressed outrage at the company on Wednesday and blamed it for the incorrect information, which was reported around the world on live television.

"They straight out lied to millions of people watching and all the families here," said Harley Ables, a relative of one of the victims.

Miners used gas barrier and wore breathing masks

Hatfield and other mine officials said the miners apparently survived the blast itself and had done what they were trained to do when there was the threat of carbon monoxide gas.

They were found together behind a fabric barrier designed to block the gas, and each miner was wearing a breathing apparatus that purifies air.

They were discovered not far from an air hole drilled Tuesday, but Hatfield said officials weren't immediately sure how long they had survived.

Sole survivor fully responsive, doctors say

The only survivor of the accident, Randal McCloy, 27, was suffering from a collapsed lung, dehydration and shock.

Dr. Lawrence Roberts, who treated McCloy at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, said late Wednesday afternoon that the survivor was in critical condition but not showing any signs of brain damage or carbon monoxide poisoning.

McCloy, who has been a miner for three years, is married and has two young children.

U.S. government to investigate

David Dye, who heads the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, said his organization will be looking at "how emergency information was relayed about the trapped miners' conditions."