The Mine Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation into a haulage fire that trapped three miners underground in a Missouri lead-zinc mine on Jan. 21, the agency announced this week.
The miners were unable to exit the mine when the fire broke out around 10:30 a.m. because the escape route was blocked by a 30-ton haulage vehicle, MSHA said. They instead traveled 2,400 feet to a designated refuge chamber stocked with water and compressed air. A rescue team reached the miners later that day; they were treated at a local hospital and released.
