Montcoal, West Virginia

Raleigh County

Montcoal is an Unincorporated community in Raleigh County of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The place is located at the West Virginia State Route 3

Explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine

On April 5, 2010 near Montcoal in a mine at a depth of 300 m, a methane gas explosion occurred. This immediately 25 miners were killed, and later another four missing were found dead. The explosion was the worst in the U.S. since 1970 and occurred at 15:27 local time clock, so 19:27 clock according to Central European Time. The rescue operation was launched immediately after the announcement of the accident, first at the mouth hole at Birchton. In addition, four holes were drilled to reach the buried miners who could possibly still be alive, because there are two chambers with fresh air supply and survival rations underground. On April 7, eleven bodies were recovered, but the other search since April 9, first had to be adjusted because the methane concentration was too high and there was a fire in the mine. On 9 April, the last bodies were recovered.

• Place in West Virginia
• Place in North America
• Raleigh County