Two West Virginia Coal Miners Killed In Separate Incidents Inside 24 Hours

Two West Virginia coal miners died in separate incidents in less than 24 hours in early April. The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) opened investigations at both operations.

Aaron Warrix, 53, of Chapmanville, was a shuttle car operator at the Panther Eagle Mine in Raleigh County. He was killed on April 2 when a large rock dislodged from the mine roof between two installed roof bolts while he was setting timbers. He died at the scene.

The next morning, April 3, Darin Reece, 36, was crushed by a longwall shield at the Ohio County Mine in Dallas, in Marshall County. A scoop backed into another scoop that was transporting a longwall shield. The shield shifted and pinned Reece, who was working underneath it.

Two deaths. Two operations. Less than a day apart.

Who runs the mines

The Panther Eagle Mine is operated by a subsidiary of Alpha Metallurgical Resources. The Ohio County Mine is operated by Murray Energy. Both are union mines.

"This is a difficult and dangerous work, and these miners represented the very best of West Virginia," United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil Roberts said in a statement following the two deaths.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey acknowledged the deaths the same week and ordered flags lowered.

What MSHA is looking at

MSHA's preliminary report on the Marshall County death identified the failure point as a coordination breakdown between two scoops operating in the same area. The federal agency and the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training are running parallel investigations.

For the Raleigh County death, MSHA is examining whether the roof bolt pattern met the approved roof control plan and whether the rock between the bolts had been properly checked.

Roof falls remain one of the leading causes of underground coal mining fatalities. Crushing incidents involving longwall shields are rarer but typically the result of failures in equipment-clearance and traffic-control procedures.

Three weeks later

A third West Virginia mine fatality occurred in Tucker County several weeks after these two. Joseph Mitchell, 25, was struck by an out-of-control locomotive while operating a scoop near the haulage tracks. MSHA's preliminary findings cited the operator for failing to follow established haulage-clearance safeguards, not establishing procedures for diesel equipment control, and not maintaining sanding devices on the locomotive.

Three deaths in West Virginia coal mines in roughly thirty days.

The MSHA investigations remain open. We'll publish more as findings are released.