June 11, 2026 - Two mining fatalities that occurred less than 24 hours apart in West Virginia this spring underscore a rise in mining deaths nationwide in 2026, according to federal safety data released Wednesday.

A daily tracking report from the Mine Safety and Health Administration shows 13 workplace fatalities have been recorded across the nation’s mining industry so far this year as of Wednesday.

The total marks a reversal from the same period in recent years, exceeding the nine deaths recorded by mid-June 2024 and the 12 fatalities reported at this point in 2025.

The data also points to a sharp increase in underground mining deaths, a category that has particular significance in West Virginia. Federal records show five underground fatalities nationwide so far this year, compared to two at the same point in 2025 and just one by mid-June 2024.

West Virginia accounted for two of those underground deaths during a 24-hour span in early April.

On April 2, Aaron W. Warrix, 53, a shuttle car operator with more than 23 years of mining experience, was killed at Alpha Metallurgical Resources’ Panther Eagle Mine in Raleigh County. According to MSHA, Warrix was setting timber posts during retreat mining when rock fell from between roof bolts and struck him.

Preliminary findings indicate Warrix was installing turn timbers on a retreat mining section when the rock fall occurred at about 5:05 p.m. He later died from his injuries. MSHA classified the incident as a “fall of roof or back” accident — the first such fatality reported nationwide in 2026 and the seventh mining death overall this year.

About 40 miners were underground at the time, and no other injuries were reported.

Less than 24 hours later, on April 3, Darin Reece, 36, a section supervisor with 18 years of mining experience, was killed during longwall setup operations at ACNR Holdings’ Ohio County Mine in Marshall County.

Investigators said a scoop backed into another scoop transporting a longwall shield, causing the shield to shift and pin Reece as he worked underneath it. MSHA classified the death as a powered haulage accident. Approximately 160 miners were underground at the time, and no other injuries were reported.

Both investigations remain ongoing, and MSHA has emphasized that information released so far is preliminary and does not represent final conclusions regarding either incident.

Nationally, four of the 13 mining fatalities recorded this year have involved machinery-related accidents. On May 20, a machinery fatality was reported at the Combs Branch surface coal operation in Hazard, Kentucky. Earlier underground machinery accidents claimed the lives of miners at Foresight Energy’s Deer Run Mine in Illinois on March 5 and Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Keystone underground copper mine in Utah on March 12.

Federal records also show a fatal coal wall collapse at the Bailey Mine in Wind Ridge, Pennsylvania, on May 19 that killed one miner and injured two others.

While underground fatalities have increased, surface mining deaths have declined. MSHA reports eight surface fatalities so far this year, down from 10 at the same point last year and well below the 19 recorded during a deadly stretch in 2023.

Still, surface operations continue to face significant hazards. On May 21, a fatal explosion involving a vessel under pressure occurred at the Lone Mountain Pit sand and gravel operation in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Additional fatalities this year include two surface slip-or-fall accidents — one at a silica plant in San Antonio, Texas, and another at a portable stone crusher in Ontario, Oregon — as well as unstable material collapses at sites in Texas and Vermont.

Industry analysts note that despite the increase from 2024, the mining industry remains below the levels seen in 2023, when a series of surface haulage accidents pushed the year-to-date death toll to 23 by early June. That year ended with 40 mining fatalities nationwide.

Following the Panther Eagle Mine fatality, MSHA reminded operators to follow approved roof control plans, avoid working beneath unsupported roof and conduct thorough examinations of roof conditions in active mining areas. The agency also highlighted the use of mobile roof supports and restricting access to hazardous areas until proper protections are in place.

Federal officials continue to urge mine operators nationwide to enforce mandatory pre-shift inspections of automated machinery, re-examine structural rib-and-roof support protocols and verify strict adherence to fall-protection requirements as the industry enters peak summer production months.