July 12, 2025 - The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) reported one fatality in June, elevating the year-to-date total to 14 through July 8.

This year’s fatality total continues to pace behind last year’s, with 10 fatalities reported in 2024 through July 8 last year. Mining fatalities are, however, trending at a better pace than those of 2023 (24 through July 8), 2022 (16) and 2021 (17). 

If fatalities continue at their current rate, the industry will finish 2025 with 27 miner deaths. That would be two above the all-time low of 25 fatalities set in 2016.

The lone June mining fatality MSHA reported this year occurred on June 15 at a surface construction sand and gravel quarry in Oklahoma. The fatality was characterized as a machinery incident – the third such classification this year.

With one miner fatality recorded in the month, June has the second-lowest fatality total so far this year. January had the most fatalities with five, February and March each had three and May had two. No fatalities were reported in April.

Through the first six months of the year, powered haulage remains the most common cause of mining fatalities with six fatal incidents. Machinery is responsible for the second-most fatalities with three. 

Fall or slide of material and fall of face, rib or highwall were each responsible for two 2025 fatalities, with explosives and breaking agents the cause of one.

Construction sand and gravel and coal (bituminous) operations have seen the most fatalities in 2025 with four apiece. Dimension stone, cement, crushed broken granite, crushed broken limestone, sand industrial and iron ore operations make up the rest of this year’s fatalities, with one each.

Of the 14 2025 fatalities into early July, 12 occurred at surface mines while the other two happened at underground sites.