Mine ID: 3608746
Operator: BLACK WOLF COAL COMPANY INCORPORATED
Mine Name: QUECREEK NO 1 MINE
History of Updates
07:15 pm EST - 07/27/2002 -
As of 6:30 pm on Saturday, one borehole had been driven downward to a position very close to where the miners were presumed to be located. Drilling had almost stopped as rescuers have to proceed with caution to avoid further compromising the safety of the trapped miners. Plans were to establish an "airlock" so that miners could be transferred to a rescue capsule and brought to the surface. The establishment of the airlock is a very intricate and time-consuming process. A rescue team is prepared to go underground when needed.
12:00 pm EST - 07/27/2002 - As of 11:45 a.m., the two boreholes were at 203 feet and 185 feet. The water level in the mine was within a few feet of the target. MSHA had moved its emergency response command vehicle to the drill site. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Dave D. Lauriski was at the mine directing MSHA's activities. He is scheduled to be at the next news briefing, 1:00 p.m., Saturday, July 27, to discuss the next events in the rescue effort. For more information during the day, MSHA's public information office number is (202) 693-9425 or -9422.
09:00 am - 07/26/2002 - As of 7 :00 a.m. on Friday, water levels inside the mine have fallen approximately 7 feet. Several high-capacity pumps are pumping water out at a rate of approximately 27,000 gallons per minute. Drilling of a 30-inch borehole to reach the trapped miners progressed more than 100 feet last night but was halted around midnight by a problem with the drill. Officials are working to solve the problem and making preparations to start a second, parallel borehole. Company, State and MSHA officials are continuing to working closely together. The senior MSHA official in charge is Ray McKinney, MSHA Administrator for Coal Mine Safety and Health.
This was our intro for the initial web page announcing the incident:
According to preliminary information, an inundation of water
occurred late Wednesday in the working section of the underground coal. Nine
miners safely evacuated the mine and nine miners were trapped by water. The area
of the entrapment is approximately 230 feet underground and about one and a half
miles from the mine entrance.
