10 of the World's Worst Energy Disasters:
The Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion

Coal miner boots and lunch pail sit on the stage of the New Life Assembly church during a Sunday service dedicated to the memory of the coal miners that died, April 11, 2010 in Whitesville, West Virginia. On April 5, a methane gas explosion killed 29 coal miners at the Massey Energy Company's Upper Big Branch Coal Mine.

Photo: Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images

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What:
Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

Where:
Raleigh County, West Virginia

When:
April 5, 2010

What happened:
A fireball explosion in a West Virginia mine owned by Massey Energy killed 29 miners and caused an explosion so intense that it twisted steel rail lines. The buildup of methane and carbon monoxide made search and rescue attempts impossible. The blast is the deadliest since 1970.

This isn't the first time Massey Energy encountered problems. In 2009, it was fined more than $380,000 for serious safety violations.

The same day as the West Virginia mine explosion, 115 Chinese miners were floated to safety after being trapped in a flooded mine shaft for eight days.

The longterm impact:
It's still unclear what caused the blast. Electrical systems and mine equipment are being tested to determine the cause of the explosion. Additionally, the FBI is currently investigating reports that federal mining officials took bribes from Massey Energy.

NEXT > >
The Exxon Valdez disaster

More of the World's Worst Energy Disasters

The Prestige oil spill The Kingston fly ash spill The Three Mile Island meltdown The Chernobyl power plant meltdown

The Johnstown flood The Kuwait oil fires The Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station disaster The BP Oil Spill

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