TRAGEDY IN WEST VIRGINIA

Euphoria turned to grief early yesterday when it became clear that 12 miners trapped in a coal mine had died. One miner survived, but was in critical condition. Many questions remain about why families were initially told that the men were found alive only to find out hours later that the opposite was true. And there are larger questions about the safety of the Sago Mine and other coal mines across the country. While the answers to those are sought, the nation grieves for the 12 lives lost and hopes for a full recovery for the one survivor.

The miners were trapped 260 feet underground after an explosion Monday morning at the Sago Mine, about 100 miles from Charleston, W. Va. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Tests of the air inside the mine showed very high levels of carbon monoxide, a potentially lethal byproduct of combustion.

As rescuers slowly made their way through the mine searching for the men, the situation appeared grim. But then Tuesday night word spread that 12 men had been found alive. Church bells rang, family members cheered the miracle.

Three hours later, company officials said there had been miscommunication and that 12 men had been found dead. Mine officials blamed an imprecise report from rescuers, which said that 12 individuals had been found, but did not say whether they were dead or alive. The one survivor, 27-year-old Randal McCloy, was in critical condition in a Morgantown hospital. A doctor said there was no sign of carbon monoxide poisoning or brain damage. It was the one bright spot in an otherwise tragic event.

As West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin put it, “We were hoping for 13 miracles, and now we’re still clinging to one miracle.”