Rescue teams on Friday were searching for two miners that were missing after a fire in a West Virginia coal mine, according to Deutsche Preswse Agentur (dpa). The fire broke out Thursday night about 300 metres underground at the Aracoma Mine. All but two miners were able to escape, according to CNN television news. It is the second significant accident in a West Virginia mine this month. Twelve workers died in an explosion January 2 in another coal mine accident. Local officials were optimistic about the miners' chances, saying there was no explosion this time and that the air quality was much better than at the January 2 disaster. Both mines had been found to be in violation of mine safety and health regulations.
