Associated Press Published

Marshall Co. Sheriff: One Killed, One Injured In Electrical Accident

Coal_mining_helmet.jpg

Editor’s Note: In the original version of this story, the Associated Press reported American Electric Power owns the McElroy Mine. That information was incorrect and the story now reflects that change.

 Authorities say one worker was killed and another seriously injured in an electrical accident near a Marshall County coal mine.

Marshall County Sheriff’s Office received a call about the accident Monday afternoon. American Electric Power spokesman Jeri Matheney says the linemen were working for Virginia-based Davis H. Elliot. Murray Energy owns the McElroy Mine near Cameron. Matheney says the workers were replacing copper wire that had been stolen from an electrical line.

Sheriff Kevin Cecil says the neutral wire somehow came into contact with energized lines. Cecil says one worker died at the scene and another was in serious condition at a Morgantown hospital. Their names were not immediately released.

The West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training is investigating.