A COAL MINE EXPLOSION IN SOUTHEASTERN KENTUCKY EARLY ON SATURDAY KILLED FIVE PEOPLE, A U.S. MINE SAFETY OFFICIAL SAID, MAKING THIS THE DEADLIEST YEAR FOR U.S. COAL COUNTRY SINCE 2001, REUTERS REPORTED. THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED ABOUT 1:30 A.M. (0530 GMT) AT A MINE OPERATED BY KENTUCKY DARBY LLC, MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION SPOKESWOMAN AMY LOUVIERE SAID. STATE AND FEDERAL MINE SAFETY OFFICIALS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE, SHE SAID. "ONE (MINER) WALKED OUT ON HIS OWN AND EVERYONE IS ACCOUNTED FOR NOW," SHE SAID, ADDING THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW THE CONDITION OF THE SURVIVING MINER. THE FATALITIES FROM THE BLAST IN MOUNTAINOUS HARLAN COUNTY, NEAR THE BORDER WITH VIRGINIA, RAISED THE DEATH TOLL IN U.S. COAL MINES TO 31 THIS YEAR, UP FROM 22 LAST YEAR, ACCORDING TO MSHA. IN 2001, 42 WERE KILLED IN COAL MINE ACCIDENTS. "WE ARE DEEPLY SADDENED BY THIS LOSS OF LIFE AND WANT TO ASSURE THE FAMILIES AND THE MINING COMMUNITY THAT MSHA WILL LAUNCH A FULL INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSE OF THIS TRAGIC ACCIDENT," MSHA ACTING ADMINISTRATOR DAVID DYE SAID IN A STATEMENT. LOUVIERE SAID THE INVESTIGATION WOULD BEGIN IMMEDIATELY AFTER ALL BODIES WERE RECOVERED FROM THE DARBY MINE NO. 1, WHICH SHE DESCRIBED AS A SMALL OPERATION WITH ABOUT 30 EMPLOYEES. KENTUCKY DARBY LLC DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE ACCIDENT. "FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE THIS ONE PERSON WHO WALKED OUT," LOUVIERE SAID, EXPRESSING HOPE THAT THE MINER COULD HELP DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE BLAST. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HARLAN POLICE DEPARTMENT SAID A POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS A METHANE EXPLOSION BUT THAT HAD NOT BEEN CONFIRMED. STORMS IN THE AREA JOE GRIESHOP, JUDGE-EXECUTIVE FOR HARLAN COUNTY, TOLD MSNBC TELEVISION IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW THAT THERE WERE STORMS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF THE BLAST BUT IT WAS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE WEATHER WAS A FACTOR. INVESTIGATORS HAVE BLAMED A LIGHTNING STRIKE THAT IGNITED METHANE GAS FOR A DEADLY EXPLOSION AT THE SAGO MINE IN WEST VIRGINIA IN JANUARY. THAT INCIDENT KILLED 12 MINERS AND LEFT ONE BRAIN DAMAGED. IN HOLMES MILL, IN A REMOTE CORNER OF HARLAN COUNTY'S COAL COUNTRY, PEOPLE BEGAN GATHERING AT CLOVERFORK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH NEAR THE MINE, AS NEWS OF THE ACCIDENT SPREAD. "IT IS A VERY FAMILY-ORIENTED TYPE OF COMMUNITY," SAID DONNA SMITH, A TEACHER WHOSE FATHER AND BOTH GRANDFATHERS WORKED AS COAL MINERS. "EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF OUR RELATIVES HURT THIS TIME, MOST OF US ARE STILL TRYING TO GO TO THE CHURCHES AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP THOSE WHO DID HAVE RELATIVES WHO WERE HURT," SHE SAID. AFTER THE WEST VIRGINIA DISASTER, SOME COAL INDUSTRY ANALYSTS SAID SOARING ENERGY PRICES WERE DRIVING MINES TO EXTRACT MORE COAL AND TO MINE IN MORE PLACES. THEY WARNED THAT THIS COULD PUT MINERS AT GREATER RISK. DURING THE FIVE YEARS KENTUCKY DARBY HAS OPERATED IT, THERE HAVE BEEN THREE PREVIOUS SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AT THE MINE, ALL FROM ROOF COLLAPSES, BUT NO FATALITIES, SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE KENTUCKY ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC PROTECTION CABINET, WHICH OVERSEES THE STATE OFFICE OF MINE SAFETY. HARLAN COUNTY IS ABOUT 180 MILES (285 KM) FROM LOUISVILLE AND 3 MILES (4.8 KM) FROM KENTUCKY'S BORDER WITH VIRGINIA. ITS MINES WERE THE SITE OF NOTABLE LABOR UNREST IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY AND A BITTER 1973 STRIKE WAS DEPICTED IN THE OSCAR-WINNING 1976 DOCUMENTARY "HARLAN COUNTY, USA."
