Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

US Labor Department Opens Probe Into Deadly Coal Mine Accident
--------------------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=107416F:3919ACA Mine Safety and
Health Administration will appoint investigative team to evaluate all
aspects of accident and emergency response The U.S. Labor Department
has opened an investigation into the deadly coal mine accident in West
Virginia that killed 12 workers.

In a statement released Wednesday, the department said the Mine Safety
and Health Administration would appoint an investigative team to
evaluate all aspects of the accident and emergency response. It said
the probe would also look at how information was relayed about the
condition of the trapped miners.

Initial reports that 12 of the 13 miners had been found alive quickly
spread through the small coal mining community. The scene turned
chaotic, however, when company officials told family and friends of
the victims that only one of the miners had survived the deadly mine
blast.

The explosion early Monday was the worst U.S. mining disaster since
2001, when an explosion in Alabama killed 13 people. Some information
for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


.