W.Va. mine remains closed after blast; no one hurt - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

W.Va. mine remains closed after blast; no one hurt

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- A Randolph County mine remains closed after an explosion that regulators say could be linked to lightning from June 29 storms.

The Charleston Gazette says no one was injured at Carter Roag Coal Co.'s Pleasant Hill Mine near Cassity, where an explosion occurred in a sealed underground tunnel.

Kevin Stricklin of the Mine Safety and Health Administration says investigators believe the blast could have been caused by either a roof fall or lightning hitting something metal.

Lightning is believed to have caused the 2006 explosion that trapped and killed 12 men at the Sago Mine.

Investigators say the storm killed power to Pleasant Hill. The damage was discovered when it was restored two days later.

Stricklin says testing of the seals on June 24 showed they'd met federal regulations.

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