Articles written by Lawrence Messina Associated Press Writer Montcoal

LAWRENCE MESSINA Associated Press Writer MONTCOAL, W.Va. (AP)

A huge underground explosion blamed on methane gas killed 25 coal miners in the worst U.S. mining disaster since 1984, and rescuers this morning began a dangerous and possibly futile attempt to rescue four others still missing. Crews were bulldozing an access road so they could drill 1,000 feet into the earth to try to find the missing miners feared dead after the Monday afternoon blast at a mine with a history of violations for not properly ventilating highly combustible methane. Rescuers were being held back by poison...