April 6, 2024 - One of the most notable things associated with West Virginia is coal mining, but it is a job that does not come without risks.

There are many mine disasters that are a part of West Virginia history, and in 2010, a mine disaster killed 29 people and injured two at the Upper Big Branch mine in the Montcoal area of Raleigh County.

According to the West Virginia Encyclopedia, the Upper Big Branch mine disaster on April 5, 2010, was the worst coal mining disaster in the Mountain State since the Farmington mine disaster killed 78 people on November 20, 1968.

The Upper Big Branch mine disaster occurred between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. on April 5, 2010 when explosions tore through the mine. Later on after an investigation, it was discovered that sparks ignited a pocket of methane, resulting in a fireball that set off methane and coal dust explosions throughout the mine.

The Investigation also found that the explosion could have been prevented, and that ways to protect miners such as the ventilation, did not work correctly. Massey Energy, the owner of the mine, was blamed in the investigation.

The one thing I can say is we learn lessons in blood, you know, the things that the regulations and things that are put in place now are from lessons learned the hard way. When things like Upper Big Branch happen, they look at all of the things that happen that take place in the order that it did to cause something like that, and then they make changes to make it safer, to make it better.

If an explosion were to happen tomorrow, there’d be a whole new set of regulations and laws, and everything to try to prevent that from happening again. The reason we have the laws, safety rules, policies, and things that we have now is because, more than likely, somebody lost their life at some point in history because of that. So we as an industry take the things that happen like that, and try to make the conditions better and try to prevent things like that from happening. 

John Phillips | West Virginia Coal Miner

The president of Massey Energy, Don Blankenship, who led the company since 1992, resigned in December 2010. In fall 2015 he was tried on criminal charges and found guilty of a misdemeanor count of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety standards, and not guilty of felony charges. He was sentenced to a year in prison, followed by a year of parole, and a $250,000 fine on April 6, 2016.

In many cases, remembrance ceremonies are held to remember events and the people who lost their lives in instances such as the Upper Big Branch mine disaster. On April 5, 2024, a remembrance ceremony was held at the Raleigh County Courthouse for the 14th anniversary of the event.

Fourteen years ago, West Virginia suffered an unimaginable loss when 29 brave coal miners were killed in the Upper Big Branch mine disaster. The anniversary of this tragedy reminds us that our miners are willing to risk their lives for us, and we owe it to them and their loved ones to prioritize their health and safety. My heart goes out to the friends and families of Carl, Christopher, Kenneth, Cory, Michael, Steve, Rick, Joe, Nicolas, Adam, Josh, Dewey, Gary, Grover, Ricky, Jason, Greg, Robert, Timmy, William, Dean, Roosevelt, Ronald, Eddie, Rex, Boone, Jody, Deward and Benny. Gayle and I join all West Virginians in honoring the memory of these 29 courageous miners who lost their lives that day and we will continue to keep them and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

However the events are not the only thing that need remembered when it comes to mining incidents like Upper Big Branch, the people who lost their lives need to be remembered as well. People who work in coal mines often do so as a way to provide for their families. Despite that, coal mining often appears to have a negative reputation.