Six miners trapped in collapsed Utah mine
A coal mine collapsed today in central Utah, trapping six miners, less than 20 miles from the epicentre of a minor earthquake, authorities said.
The Genwal mine reported a “cave-in” at 3.50am, an hour after the magnitude 4.0 earthquake, the Emery County sheriff’s office said.
“Rescue workers are on scene trying to locate six miners that are unaccounted for,” the sheriff’s office.
Rocky Mountain Power, a utility with a power plant in the area, sent a rescue team and heavy equipment, spokesman Dave Eskelsen said.
A command centre was being set up in Huntington, about 15 miles from the mine, said Teresa Behunin, an accountant affiliated with the mine. She had no other details.
The sheriff’s office had said earlier there were no reports of damage or injuries blamed on the quake, centred under the Huntington Canyon area, about 100 miles south-east of Salt Lake City.
