Mining Accidents

There was a mining accident in Utah on August the 6th. In the United States this accident received much coverage and probably many prayers. It looked hopeful at first, digging through the old access, drilling holes to find the miners, air in the mine was quite life sustaining. Then things started to change. Last week the rescue effort to go through the mine was stopped because the mine collapsed again, this time killing 3 and injuring 9. From then no more effort would be taken to reenter the mine in the same manner. Slowly the air in the mine itself was now not livable and somewhere around the two and a half week period hope was beginning to fade. At the service for the brave miners who died during the rescue effort, the owner of the mine Mr. Murray was confronted by an unnamed gentlemen and the man shoved a dollar in Murray's face saying that here was some more money that should be spent on the rescue effort. Murray allowed the dollar to fall to the ground where his son retrieved it saying instead in would be donated to church. Unfortunately the miners likely will never be retrieved from the mine, most likely they never survived the initial collapse, but most regrettably we will probably never know. The mine where they went to work that Monday in all likelihood will become their final resting place. There is still hope right now, but eventually there will be a period where hope will be lost. Lord I pray for those miners and their families that they will have closure.

Now let's look at how a similar situation is taken care of in China. Over the past weekend a mine was flooded in China due to very heavy rains and a levy that broke. The result was 172 miners being trapped. That's right 172. It would have taken 9 accidents and rescue efforts of the US event to be close to this number. The coverage by the state run news service was minimal at best. The men have not been declared lost yet but it could take weeks to remove the water. The fault of the event was not given to natural disaster - no under those condition the families of the dead miners would receive no compensation. This way the families can at least receive something for their loss, 2 and a half months wages. That's about $265 each, for a total of $45,580. Due to them because the mine should not have been operated under such rainy conditions. I wonder which country will do more to revise their laws, inspections, safety practices and recovery capability after these respective accidents. The US or China. Realistically the ceiling for mine safety in the US probably can't go much higher. After the Sago accident where 12 miners were killed and one badly injured major changes were made. In China on a daily basis they lose 13 miners. That is 13 a day, essentially 6 would be a major improvement. For the U.S. most likely the results from this latest accident will probably be to end any type of retreat mining or mining in any mine where retreat mining has been practiced. It probably is the safest thing to do, but there will always be inherent danger in mining. My father and 3 of my brothers were miners, and I really count myself lucky now for everyday that they were able to come home. Everyday there is risk in that job, probably more than policemen or firefighters who may not have to face death every singly day, but there is no escape for the miner. They venture into the dark abyss, check fear at the gate when they punch in, and have to function in a manner that will keep them from losing their job and most importantly their life. They are completely dependant on everyone who enters with them and those who have entered before, that they have not or will not do anything that will put them in harms way. But they also have to depend on nature, on the Earth, that what they have taken out will not cause hundreds of feet of Earth to come rushing in upon them or that water will not trap them deep below the surface. No, I do not envy the life of a miner, but I do admire what the are able to do and have done for so many years. I admire their strength, courage, resolve, ability and am proud to say that I am the son of a coal miner. God bless Coal Miners and their families!