MIDDLESBORO, Ky. — A spokeswoman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration says crews are pumping 1,100 gallons of water per minute from a mine where three Kentucky coal miners have been trapped for hours.
None of the miners was harmed Monday, and they have moved to dry ground within the mine, said spokeswoman Amy Louviere. The Richmond, Va.-based James River Coal owns the mine, and Bell County Coal operates it. The miners have been in constant contact with officials on the surface, Louviere said.
Their families have gathered in Middlesboro near the mine site where they are being briefed on their loved ones' conditions.
The miners became trapped in the southeastern Kentucky mine when a portion of the entrance collapsed about 6:40 a.m. Eastern time. Water began pouring in from a drainage ditch swollen with heavy overnight rains.
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