US officials said that two workers who were trapped when the ground failed at a West Virginia mine with a history of safety violations have died.
Officials for federal and state safety agencies say the incident occurred just after 8:45 pm yesterday at Brody Mine No 1 in Boone County.
Amy Louviere of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration say the miners' bodies were recovered.
The state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training identifies the workers as 48-year-old Eric D Legg and 46-year-old Gary P Hensley.
No additional injuries or trapped workers are reported. The state agency says preliminary indications show that a coal outburst was responsible but provided no other details.
In a statement, mine owner Patriot Coal confirmed the deaths and said a coal burst was the cause. The company did not respond to emails or calls about the incident or the mine's safety record.
