A mining company executive Tuesday said officials are “”very discouraged” by air quality tests conducted on a West Virginia mine where 13 workers are trapped after an explosion Monday.
However, Gov. Joe Manchin said rescuers successfully punched a hole into the mine early Tuesday, raising hopes that the men could be saved.
Crews also sent a camera down the 6 1/4 inch hole to look for signs of life, and planned to move in a camera-equipped robot with sensors to measure air quality, Manchin told morning talk shows.
“We’re still hoping for that miracle as you know,” Manchin told ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The cause of the explosion hadn’t been determined early Tuesday, but a spokeswoman for Manchin said earlier that it might have been sparked by lightning. The blast occurred at about 6:40 a.m. Monday, trapping the miners 260 feet below the surface of the Sago Mine, located about 100 miles northeast of Charleston.