WASHINGTON (AP) – The head of the United Mine Workers of America wants an independent investigation into what went wrong at the Crandall Canyon Mine. Union president Cecil Roberts has sent a letter to Congress asking for coal mining experts to probe the collapse that trapped six Utah miners more than two weeks ago. He says the federal agency charged with ensuring mine safety has a spotty track record when it comes to protecting miners. Roberts wants the panel of outside experts to investigate what led to the mine collapse, the disaster itself, and rescue efforts.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – Federal officials say the Crandall Canyon coal mine is still too unstable to send rescuers inside. The Mine Safety and Health Administration says a panel of experts has concluded that it’s too risky to start digging out again at the collapsed mine to find six men who have been missing for two weeks. Three men died during the rescue last week in another cave-in at the mine. Family members have been pleading for rescuers to drill a hole wide enough to send down a rescue capsue. But federal officals say that would put whoever goes in the capsule to search the mine at risk. They say the only way someone else will be sent into the mine is if they can get some confirmation there is someone alive down there. A fifth bore hole is still being drilled.

(Huntington, Utah) KSL REPORT – It has now been 14 days since an underground collapse trapped six Utah miners. Today brought grim news about the conditions in the mine, and for the first time, a loss of the very thing keeping everyone energized: Hope. Rob Moore of Murray Energy Corporation says, “It’s likely these miners may not be found.” Today’s briefing at the mine was the first time officials publicly admitted that the miners might be lost.

News of a lack of oxygen in the mine went to the families first. Then Richard Sticker., with MSHA, told reporters, “This area, the oxygen level would not support life.”

Hard realities today swept away all but the last shreds of hope that the miners will ever be found alive. In fact, officials acknowledge it’s likely the six men will never even get a proper burial. “It is disappointing, and it’s likely that these miners may not be found,” Moore said. The first harsh reality was deep in the ground, at the bottom of the fourth drill hole where the air quality is bad. They’re starting to drill a fifth hole, but it offers only the slightest wisp of hope. “It’s likely that we’ll see similar results there, but we can’t say that with certainty,” Moore said.

Another harsh reality could mean the six men will be entombed in the mine forever. The mine is on the move, the same type of movement that proved fatal for three rescue miners. The coal-seam is bumping and shifting under the weight of the mountain above, as coal pillars collapse like dominoes.

Stickler explained, “And that process seems to be migrating out from the original area where the bump activity started.”

They haven’t firmly ruled out a resumption of mining, but every indication is the underground mining approach to rescue is almost certainly over.

“The risk is too great and we just simply cannot take the unacceptable risk and put additional lives in harm’s way,” Moore said.

The bleak assessment was shared with the miner’s families behind closed doors.

Moore said, “It was a very difficult meeting, very subdued, and emotionally, it is hard.”

A team of experts began studying today whether there is any safe way to resume the underground mining rescu, but nothing said today indicates that anyone expects it to happen. In fact, the discussion begins today whether the Crandall Canyon Mine will ever re-open again.

There has been no sign of the six trapped miners since the Crandall mine collapsed 14 days ago. Rob Moore today said it was likely they won’t find Kerry Allred, Luis Hernandez, Carlos Payan, Don Erickson, Manuel Sanchez and Brandon Phillips.

A funeral service for one of the three rescuers who died trying to reach the six miners will be held later this week. Gary Jensen, Brandon Kimber, and Dale Black were killed Thursday during the second mine collapse at the Crandall Canyon Mine. The three were trying to reach their friends and colleagues. Funeral services for Black will be held on Tuesday at the Little Bear Campground in Huntington Canyon. There is still no word on funeral services for Jensen and Kimber.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – The state Department of Labor says a third person injured in the Crandall Canyon mine rescue effort has died. Several other people were hurt. The crew has been searching for six miners trapped in a big cave-in August Sixth. The disastrous cave-in tonight was blamed on a seismic bump. Everyone working underground in the mine have been evacuated.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – A second person has died after a disastrous accident at the Crandall Canyon mine tonight. A spokeswoman at a Utah Valley Regional Medical Center says one person died at the Provo hospital. A spokesman at the Castleview Hospital in Price says one person also died at that hospital. Another seven people were hurt in the mountain bump underground this evening. The crew was working to clear debris and rubble from a cave-in that trapped six miners on August Sixth. The fate of those six is still unknown tonight. The Mine Safety and Health Administration says no rescue crews are working in the mine now, although drilling on top of the mountain is believed to continue.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) – A disastrous cave-in Thursday night killed a rescue worker and injured at least eight others who were trying to tunnel through rubble to reach six trapped miners, authorities said. It was a shocking setback on the 11th day of the effort to find miners who have been confined at least 1,500 feet below ground at the Crandall Canyon mine. It’s unknown if the six are alive or dead. Mine Safety and Health Administration spokesman Dirk Fillpot says all rescue workers have been evacuated from the mine.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – A seismic “bump” in a coal mine injured nine people working to find trapped miners, sending at least four rescue workers to hospitals, authorities said. One rescue worker was in very serious condition at Castleview Hospital, and two were in serious condition there, said Jim Manley, hospital chief executive. At least one rescue worker was flown to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, said Jess Gomez, a spokesman for Salt Lake City’s LDS Hospital, which dispatches medical helicopters in Utah. Another is being flown to UMED in Salt Lake City. We’re told, unofficially, that helicopter will drop off the patient and immediately return to the mine site. Manley says Castleview Hospital is prepared to receive trauma injuries, which might include broken bones and internal injuries. He says patients with more serious head injuries would be taken to Salt Lake area hospitals. “It is believed that the accident was caused by a bump. ... We are in the process of doing a head count to ensure that everyone is accounted for,” said Dirk Fillpot, spokesman for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. A bump commonly refers to pressure inside the mine that shoots coal from the walls with great force. A “final count” determined that nine workers were injured, he said. The agency had earlier said at least 10 were injured. It was not immediately clear where the injured people were working or what they were doing when they were hurt. Crews have been drilling holes from the top of the mountain to try to find the six missing miners while others were tunneling through a debris-filled entry to the mine. Underground, the miners had advanced to only 826 feet in nine days. They still have 1,200 feet to go to reach the area where they believe the trapped men had been working.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – There is still no word if the six trapped miners inside the Crandall Canyon mine for 10 days are alive. At an evening press conference, Richard Stickler with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said geophones picked up a pattern of audio from inside the mine. It happened this morning around 10:00 and lasted about five minutes. Crews have analyzed the noise, but they can’t confirm what the noise is or where it’s coming from. Crews are going to drill a fourth hole where they heard the noise from the geophones. Bob Murray, owner of Murray Energy Corporation said that at 9:00 p.m. they hope to have video out of hole number three and air readings at about 11:00 p.m. Murray also said, “So there is every reason for hope. The families have that hope. I have never seen such courageous strong people in my life. They actually give me hope. And I just wish I could tell you that we’ve had them out by now.”

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – A third hole has broken through the Crandall Canyon mine, but a microphone could not be fully lowered into the space. Rescue crews plan to try again to make contact and will eventually lower a camera into the area where they hope the trapped miners could have retreated in search of air. Workers inside the mine experienced a minor bump last night slowing their progress in digging through the rubble. They still have about 1,100 feet of debris to clear out. It’s been more than nine days since an outburst in the mine left six men unaccounted for. No contact has been made with the miners since the collapse.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – A new drill aimed at the back of a central Utah mine where six men may be trapped has drilled 585 feet into the mountain. That leaves more than 800 feet to go before it breaks through toward the back of the mine, where officials hope the men sought refuge in search of an air pocket. At a late-morning news conference, mine co-owner Bob Murray showed video from his latest trip to the rescue effort inside the mine. He showed how workers are reinforcing the mine shaft so crews can dig horizontally toward the area where the miners could be. They think they have about 1,200 feet to go until they reach their target. Officials say there are also preparing for a fourth drill hole, but did not immediate say where it would go. It’s been more than eight days since a partial collapse in the mine left the six miners unaccounted for.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – New camera views from deep inside the Crandall Canyon mine show a tool bag and other equipment, but no sign of the men believed trapped there – eight days after the collapse. Crews are expected to begin drilling a third hole – 1,300 feet from the second hole – in a continued attempt to locate six miners missing since last Monday’s cave-in. Richard Stickler with the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration says new video shows a survivable space but no sign of the men. Officials plan to send the camera down again, but this time with more powerful lighting. The most recent images show an intact roof, a distorted conveyor belt and a tool bag – a bag that mine co-owner Robert Murray says belongs to one of the men.

(Huntington, UT) A nine-inch drill goes more than 1,800 feet into the ground and punches through the roof of a Central Utah coal mine where six miners are believed to be trapped. “From that distance down for five-and-a-half feet there is a void, and that’s good,” said Richard Stickler, of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. But repeated attempts to tap a message to the miners came up empty. Geologist Mike Glasson said, “Of course we were very hopeful and frankly disappointed that we did not have a response.” They’re disappointed but still undaunted. In fact, there’s a new twist tonight in the effort to find those six trapped Utah miners. The Federal government has delivered two rescue capsules, capable of extracting men by cable from deep underground. The six men trapped underground come from a variety of backgrounds and experience levels. Kerry Allred is a 58 year old native of Cleveland, Utah. He’s worked in the mines almost a quarter of a century. Luis Hernandez, 23 is from Sinaloa, Mexico. He has a one year old daughter. Carlos Payan is 22. He came to the U.S. from Sinaloa with his cousin Luis Hernandez. Hernandez and Payan started working at the mine earlier this summer. Don Erickson is a 50 year old Helper resident. He worked at Helper Auto Sales before taking a job in mining to get better benefits. Manual Sanchez is from Price. He’s 41, the father of four and a grandfather. And Brandon Phillips is the rookie on this Crandall Canyon Mine team. He’s 24 years old and just started this job three weeks ago.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – A drill tunneling into a mine might have actually gone into a sealed chamber rather than the area were six miners are believed to be trapped. A microphone dropped into the hole produced no sounds and widely differing air samples. Initially, air samples showed oxygen levels of 20 percent, which would support life. But later samples showed oxygen levels of 7 percent, which are similar to the readings taken earlier in the search from a previously sealed chamber. Officials cut their morning news conference short saying they had a lot of work to do. It’s been four days since the collapse of the mine left six men unaccounted for in the Crandall Canyon mine near Huntington, Utah.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) Rescuers drilled through to a pocket in the coal mine where six miners have been trapped, but heard no sound through a microphone that was lowered into the collapsed mine. The mine’s co-owner remained hopeful that the six men were still alive despite the silence. “I wouldn’t look at it as good or bad news. The work is not done,” said Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corp. They cut into the mine at 9:47 p.m., Murray said. Authorities also say the air quality in that area of the mine is very good. The 2 1/2-inch hole is a crucial passage for the first possible contact with the men since a collapse sealed them 1,500 feet below ground early Monday at the Crandall Canyon mine in central Utah. A bigger drill boring a nearly 9-inch-wide hole wide enough to accommodate food and water was also moving toward the men’s presumed location, but remained many hours from the target. The six miners have not been heard from since early Monday morning when the mine was hit by an earthshaking collapse. It has not been determined whether they are alive.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – Rough, uneven terrain has extended by nearly 400 feet the distance rigs must drill to reach the location where six miners were believed to be trapped. But officials say they should still break through on at one of two drill sites today. Officials originally reported a hole would have to be drilled 1,500 feet to reach the area where the miners are believed to be trapped. Now, the Mine Safety and Health Administration says the actual depth needing to be drilled is 1,869 feet. So far crews have drilled 1,530 feet down. Once the 2 1/2-inch wide hole is completed, officials hope to lower a microphone and camera to see if the six men are still alive. There has been no communication with the miners since the collapse. Crews are also working on a wider hole that must go down 1,886 feet. It has advanced 355 feet.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – The co-owner of the Crandall Canyon coal mine says there was significant progress overnight in the small hole that’s being drilled into the mountain. Bob Murray says the 2 1/2 inch hole has reached a depth of 1,300 feet. That leaves just 200 feet to go before rescuers could finally learn if the miners survived the cave-in early Monday. A wider hole is also being drilled and officials hoped it could break through by Friday. And tunneling through the mountain is also getting closer. Barring any setbacks, the smallest hole should be done some time today. Officials hope to lower a camera and see if the six men are still alive. There has been no communication with the miners since the collapse. (HUNTINGTON, Utah) – Rescuers drilling into a mountain to get air and communications to six trapped miners have reached a depth of 450 feet. That’s nearly one-third of the way to the men who have been trapped 1,500 feet underground since very early Monday. Crews have also started drilling a second larger hole that could be used to get food to the miners. But the mine’s owner cautioned that if the drilling is off target they could have to start all over again. No contact has been made with the six men.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) – An official with the federal Mine Safety Administration says slow progress was made in drilling to the area where six miners have been trapped for more than two days. Richard Stickler says one drill was able to bore down 350 feet toward the 1,500 foot depth where the miner’s are believed to be. That hole is just two and a half inches wide. Stickler says a second drill that would create a hole 9-inches wide has not begun drilling. He says crews are having difficulty getting that drill properly aligned. Seismic activity stalled underground efforts to reach the miners yesterday. Mine owner, Robert Murray, says all work done since Monday was undone by seismic and tectonic activity underground. He says the setback means it would take crews digging underground at least a week to reach the miners. Still, no contact has been made with the six men.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) – The owner of the Crandall Canyon mine says it will be this afternoon at the earliest before rescuers can start digging again to try to reach six trapped miners. Mining officials say that seismic activity stalled the underground efforts yesterday and wiped out the work that had been going on since Monday. Drilling efforts are still going on, however. Officials hope that one of two small holes that are being drilled into the mountain will reach the spot where the miners may be. If the drilling is successful, it could provide information on the miners’ condition long before rescuers will be able to dig their way through the rubble. Residents of the mining region in Emery County are trying to remain upbeat. About 35 people including several miners prayed for the six men Tuesday evening at a Spanish-language Mass in a church outside Huntington.

HUNTINGTON, Utah (AP) – A mine executive says it will take at least three days to reach miners trapped in central Utah coal mine. The men are trapped 1,500 feet below ground. Robert E. Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corporation says a drill will take three days to tunnel a 2-inch wide hole to the area where the men are. He says it’s at that point that they will know if they are dead or alive and could get food and air to them if needed. No contact has been made with the miners since a collapse was reported early yesterday morning. With no way to know whether the six were alive, crews worked through the night in shifts. Murray said there were 30 pieces of “massive” mining equipment in place and 134 people dedicated to the rescue.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) – Rescuers are working in shifts and hold off fatigue as they try to get to the six men who were caught in a mine collapse in central Utah. The rescue effort continued through the night. The six miners have been missing since the mine caved in early yesterday. Crews have no way of knowing if the men survived the accident. The Emery County Sheriff says he expects the company to begin bulldozing a road needed to bring in a drilling rig to try to get through the mountain. Dozens of trucks and cars headed toward the site just before the sun came up this morning. The sheriff says the mine collapse affects just about everybody in the community because so many residents are tied to coal mining or energy production. The collapse was reported about 4 a-m Monday and relatives of the miners spent the rest of the day waiting at a senior center for news.

(HUNTINGTON, Utah) A mining executive says the six miners trapped underground in a central Utah mine have enough water and oxygen to last several days. Robert Murray, is the chairman of Murray Energy Corporation which runs the Crandall Canyon mine. He says the mine is stocked with drinking water and there is also plenty of fresh air. Murray says he’s sure they know the exact area where the miners are trapped and they are using four different methods to access them. The mine collapsed around 3 a.m. this morning. There has been no contact with the trapped miners.

(Huntington) The University of Utah Seismograph Stations says the cave-in at a central Utah mine generated 3.9 magnitude seismic waves. The movement was reported earlier today as an earthquake of a magnitude of 4.0.

Six miners are believed trapped in the collapsed mine. Officials say they are 1,500 feet below ground and about 4 miles from the mine entrance.

Dirk Fillpot, a spokesman at the Mine Safety and Health Administration in Washington, D.C., says rescuers were within 2,500 feet of the miners. But he had no other information about their conditions or the difficulty of the search. The Genwal mine is about 100 miles south of Salt Lake City near the town of Huntington.

The seismograph station says there is no evidence that an earthquake triggered a mine collapse. Instead, evidence indicates that the mine collapse was recorded and earlier reported as an earthquake.