Coal Mine collapse in Huntington

[Crinco]

They are getting after-shocks, so we know for sure there was a quake, but which can first the quake or the cave-in is what remains to be figured out. Could a cave-in register as high on the scale as that (3.9)?

I would figure you would have to be pretty far from the cave-in to survive the deafening noise and pressure of the rocks falling in. Wouldnt it be like a bomb going off?

 

[Paul R]

This is what KSL is reporting... seems like most seismologists think it was the collapse that registered. I hope that they are able to reach them today and find them in decent condition.

 

[jet_aj]

From what I understand that's what this mine does, remove the pillars. They know it's unsafe, but they do it anyway. It's their procedure.

And this is normal if they are removing the right pillars, but from MSHA employees i've talked to they are speculating they were removing the MAIN SUPPORT pillars along the entry way.
You can remove the right pillars, and its somewhat safe to do so with proper mine technique, you cant remove the pillars along the entry way.
AGAIN this is just speculation from those I have talked to and we wont know if it just was a huge failure of the surrounding pillars which caused the mail pillars to fail also...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292669,00.html

In a narrow canyon surrounded by the Manti-La Sal National Forest, two parallel shafts lead deep into the mine, linked by smaller tunnels about every 130 feet (39.6 meters). The walls of both passageways appeared to have imploded, creating a debris pile of dirt, coal and splintered timbers that nearly fills the 8-foot by 14-foot mine shafts.

If the mains wouldn't have failed it wouldn't have been such a large cave in. So why did the pillars along the entry way fail? Normally they should withstand a 3.9 earthquake.
I just hope they find em alive so we can find out the truth.

Could a cave-in register as high on the scale as that (3.9)?

The guy I work for (a mine engineer who actually was the mine manager over Genwall for several years) has been in the coal mining industry his entire life. I asked him the same questions and he told me he would see 2.5 all the time from that mine.

 

[jet_aj]

Some more interesting reading on the subject from those overseeing the rescue

http://www.msha.gov/Genwal/CrandallCanyon.asp

 

[Crinco]

If the mains wouldn't have failed it wouldn't have been such a large cave in. So why did the pillars along the entry way fail? Normally they should withstand a 3.9 earthquake.
I just hope they find em alive so we can find out the truth.



The guy I work for (a mine engineer who actually was the mine manager over Genwall for several years) has been in the coal mining industry his entire life. I asked him the same questions and he told me he would see 2.5 all the time from that mine.

Right, so a 2.5 is still a ground mover, but a 3.9 is huge, the whole mountain dropping at once kind of huge.
I hate being under ground, and If someone was removing the main pillers from the entry, you could be sure I wouldnt be there. I don't know how anyone could make that big of a mistake! I still believe it makes more sence that the cave-in was caused by the quake, and not human error, or just all those supports failing at once. I am NO expert on the matter for sure, just wondering....
Either way, it doesn't change the outcome of whether they are alive or not, that all depends are where they were when it came down and other factors.

It sounds like Murray isnt too sure that the smaller hole being drilled is on target, may miss the cavern completly. Lets hope it is on and they will find survivors tonight.
CR