March 20, 2023 - One employee died and five were taken to the hospital after two separate incidents at a coal mine near Mt. Vernon on Saturday, according to reports by TV stations in the region.

Both incidents took place at the Hamilton County Coal facility in Dahlgren.

In a statement, General Manager of Operations Jay Emery told Carterville-based WSIL-TV that the first incident occurred just after 2 a.m. Saturday at Hamilton No. 1 Mine, where an underground roof fell while an employee was installing supplemental roof support.

Co-workers were able to reach the employee and tried to resuscitate him while moving him to the mine’s surface, according to the statement. He was pronounced dead about an hour later at Hamilton Memorial Hospital in McLeansboro.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we ask you to join us in extending support to this miner’s family, friends, and co-workers during this difficult time,” Emery stated.

An investigation is being conducted by the company and state and federal agencies, according to the statement.

On Sunday night, Hamilton County Coroner Steve Bowling identified the man who was killed as Cameron Fourez, 41, of West Frankfort.

“We are going to do an autopsy tomorrow,” Bowling said, noting that it’s necessary because the death was workplace-related and may have involved hazardous conditions.

Also on Saturday, a fire broke out in a “preparation plant” at the Hamilton County Coal facility, sending five employees to the hospital for smoke inhalation, McLeansboro Fire Chief Jim Morris told WSIL-TV and KFVS-TV, based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Fire department crews from Dahlgren, McLeansboro, Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County Rural and Wayne City responded to the call around 6:20 p.m. Saturday.

Morris told KFVS that the fire, which likely resulted from construction work involving a torch, damaged machinery and portions of the building’s third and fourth floors. Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.