Rescue workers have not had any contact from the miners since the explosion occurred between 6 and 6:30 a.m. at Sago Mine in Tallmansville. Hundreds of family members and friends are gathered at nearby Sago Baptist Church, where the American Red Cross set up operations.

"The families, much like the people working in the command center, are clinging to every hope," said Ben Hatfield, president of International Coal Group Inc., which owns the mine.

Hatfield admitted, however, "news has not been consistently favorable."

The Explosion

Early Monday, a Sago Mine "fire boss" inspected the mine for air quality and structural soundness, Hatfield said. The mine had been inactive for about 48 hours because of the holiday weekend, but the fire boss found nothing unusual.

After the initial inspection, which was confirmed by the mine supervisor, two cars of miners entered the mine. The workers reportedly felt an explosion, but only the second car, which held six miners, was able to escape the mine. The miners who escaped have told onlookers they felt the heat from an explosion. Four men tried to rescue the trapped miners soon after the accident, but a lack of breathable air forced their return to the surface.

The 13 miners, one of whom is the fire boss, are trapped roughly 260 vertical feet below ground and an estimated 11,000 to 13,000 feet into the mine. Coal officials still do not know the cause of the explosion. Speculation has included a lightning strike or a spark when idled equipment was restarted.

Gov. Joe Manchin and wife, Gayle, were supposed to attend the Nokia Sugar Bowl, where West Virginia University defeated University of Georgia Monday night in Atlanta. But Manchin returned to West Virginia and was at the mine by Monday evening. He has been supporting the families and providing updates to local and national news outlets.

Rescue Efforts

Mine rescue teams have penetrated about 10,000 feet into the mine, Hatfield said during a press conference late Tuesday morning. So far, he said, the air quality has been acceptable, and the teams have not encountered any unexpected debris or evidence of fire. A track-mounted robot also has been deployed 9,200 feet into the mine to augment the rescue teams' efforts.

Hatfield said the rescue teams, which have been fixing ventilation units and supports as they move along, have decided to cut back on some of that work to speed up their pace.

"We determined we could move forward at a quicker pace by rehabilitating fewer entries and doing less construction on the way in," Hatfield said. "I believe we have the smartest, most talented people in the industry working as hard as they can to get the men out safely."

Hatfield said rescue teams expect to reach areas with a higher level of carbon monoxide, which experts believe to be remnants of the initial explosion and not an ongoing problem.

In addition to the mine rescue team operations, other crews are drilling air monitoring holes into the area of the mine where the trapped miners are believed to be located. The first access hole revealed carbon monoxide levels that were three times the level at which life can be sustained. Workers pounded on the drill for about 10 minutes but got no response. A camera lowered about 250 feet into the mine did not find evidence of an explosion.

Hatfield said the drilling crews are working on a second hole and moving a rig to a third drilling location. The miners could have barricaded themselves in a part of the mine not yet accessed by the drill holes.

Safety Violations

Anker West Virginia Mining Co., headquartered in Morgantown, operates Sago Mine, and International Coal Group Inc. (ICG) purchased Anker in 2005.

Since October, the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration has issued 50 citations to the Sago Mine, some as recently as Dec. 21. Some of the December citations were for the accumulation of combustible materials such as coal dust, loose coal and other combustible materials.

When asked about the citations, Hatfield told reporters that the focus right now is on the rescue mission, not previous safety violations.

International Coal Group, based in Ashland, Ky., was formed in May 2004 when investor Wilbur Ross led a group that bought many of the assets of Horizon Natural Resources in a bankruptcy auction. ICG produces coal from 12 mining complexes in northern and central Appalachia (Kentucky, Maryland, and West Virginia) and from one complex in the Illinois Basin.

Just last month, ICG closed its initial public offering that grossed more than $209 million, which will be used to retire long-term debt.

This explosion is the worst mining accident in West Virginia since Jan. 22, 2003, when three contract workers were killed by a methane explosion at CONSOL Energy's McElroy Mine near Cameron in Marshall County.

According to information listed on the West Virginia Office of Miners Health Safety and Training, 1991 is the only year since 1983 in which West Virginia's coal industry had more than 20 fatal mining accidents.

The most recent mining fatalities in West Virginia occurred in 2003, when three mine contractors died in an explosion at CONSOL Energy's McElroy Mine in Marshall County. West Virginia's deadliest mining accidents include the 1968 disaster in Farmington when 78 miners died in an explosion.

The Mountain State also has the nation's deadliest mining disaster, when 362 miners died in 1907 explosion in Monongah.