Search continues for six trapped Utah coal miners; presser

Search continues for six trapped Utah coal miners; presser

(7 Aug 2007)
AP Television
Huntington, Utah – 7 August 2007
1. Tilt up from Sheriff’s car to hill top
2. Close-up mine worker putting equipment in back of pick-up truck and getting into cab
3. Close-up two miners checking out after working shift
4. Pan, police checking vehicle as it is driven into site
5. Wide news conference at site by Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corporation
6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corporation:
“Our people are back in there now, progressing towards the miners. The progress has been too slow, too slow. It will take, ladies and gentlemen, three days, if everything goes right, to get to these miners. At that time we will know whether they are alive or dead.”
7. Close-up Murray speaking pan to reporters
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corporation:
“Now the Lord has already decided whether they are alive or dead and whether they were killed from the percussion from the earthquake, but it’s up to Bob Murray and my management to get the access to them as quickly as we can.”
9. Mid shot news conference
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corporation:
“The area where these men are is entirely surrounded by solid, firm, strong pillars of coal. There was no ‘retreat’ mining in the immediate vicinity of these miners.”
11. Mid shot reporters talking to Julia Jones
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Julie Jones, whose son, Elam, works at the mine:
“My son works with this mine, yes. And he’s been with this mine two years and I briefly seen him for just a few moments last night and he said at times that they were just on their hands and knees digging with their hands to get… whatever they could do to get the guys out.”
13. Close-up sign reading: Emery County Senior Citizens Huntington Centre (building where families are waiting for news)
14. Wide shot Centre where families are waiting
AP Television – No Access Utah
Huntington, Utah – 6 August 2007
15. Various aerial views of mine
STORYLINE:
Efforts continued on Tuesday to reach six coal miners trapped more than 1,500 feet (457 metres) underground in the US state of Utah.
The chairman of one of the mining companies which owns the mine said it would take at least three days to reach the men, and only then would they know whether the men had survived the cave-in.
Bob Murray, chairman of Murray Energy Corporation of Cleveland, which part owns the Crandall Canyon mine, told reporters: “Progress has been too slow, too slow.”
Crews worked through the night in shifts, with teams coming and going along the road leading to the Crandall Canyon mine in a forested canyon.
Even then, rescuers will have only a 2-inch (5-centimetre) hole into the chamber through which to communicate with the miners and provide them food or air, Murray said.
Murray said rescue crews moved only 310 feet (95 metres) closer to the miners in the first 30 hours after the cave-in.
The trapped miners – at least three of whom are Mexican – were believed to be in a chamber 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometres) inside the mine.
Rescuers were able to reach a point about 1,700 feet (518 metres) from that point before being blocked by debris.
Workers in hard hats came and went along a road leading to the mine in a forested canyon among mountains.
Dozens of trucks and cars headed in near dawn and several miners emerged with blackened cheeks after an all-night shift.
Murray said there were 30 pieces of “massive” mining equipment in place and 134 people dedicated to the rescue.
In that method, pillars of coal are used to hold up an area of the mine’s roof.

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