Six miners are still trapped inside a coal mine in Utah despite efforts made by rescue teams over the past two weeks. The mine’s owners announced on Sunday that a seventh hole will be drilled.
A cave-in sealed off the workers on August 6 inside the Crandall Canyon mine, but so far attempts to release them or even make contact have failed. Three rescuers lost their lives after another tunnel collapse occurred last Thursday and officials decided to cease all operations after that incident.
Six holes have been drilled from the mountain top and surveillance equipment was lowered inside the mine chambers. But there were no signs of the six men aside from some indefinable sounds and the desolating image of an empty space.
This last hole could be larger than the previous ones, enough to permit a capsule to bring out the men.
Richard Stickler, head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) agreed that another hole should be drilled but also underlined the dangerous conditions the rescuers are working in.
Rescuers admit it’s a long shot, but a robotic camera dropped deep inside a Utah mountain could be the best chance officials have of finding any sign of six men missing for 21 days in a caved-in coal mine.
“It’s a long shot, and I repeat, it’s a long shot. But we owe it to the families to do everything we can to locate their loved ones,” said Jack Kuzar, a district manager for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration.
“There’s mud, there’s rocks, there’s things that make it unfavorable,” she said.
But the brother of one of the missing miners said families were hopeful.
“We’ve got a lot to learn from the camera and we’re all hoping it will do a good job for us,” Cesar Sanchez said.
Murray has ordered a shutdown of the Crandall Canyon Mine, where operations have been halted since Aug. 6, when a cavity in the mine collapsed, trapping six workers. Three rescuers subsequently were killed as further wall collapses occurred.
Utah coal mine owner Bob Murray says he will shut down mines and cut jobs in the state’s coal country.
Murray said the shutdown may only be temporary, the Morning News reported.