Rescue operations were underway at an underground West Virginia coal mine Tuesday morning as at least two miners were reported trapped after an accident.
WCHS-TV reported that the accident occurred at Brody Mine No. 1, owned by Patriot Coal. The mine is located in Boone County, in the southwestern part of the state.
WOWK-TV reported that emergency crews were called to the mine at approximately 10:30 p.m. Monday. Families who had gathered outside the mine told the station that they had heard that part of the mine had collapsed.
"You just don't know what's gonna happen from time to time," the daughter of a miner told the station. "You don't know if you're gonna get to tell 'em you love them again."
The station reported that the mine had received 253 "significant and substantial" violations from the U.S. government's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) during a 12-month review which ended last August.
The MSHA report says the violations show the mine had a disregard for the health and safety of its miners at the time the violations were issued.
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