Raleigh County Coal Mine Fatality Is First In 6 Months

A mine electrician was fatally crushed by an elevator on Tuesday in Raleigh County.

Eric Bartram, 41, of Chapmanville, had nearly two decades of experience when he was killed at the Marfork Preparation Plant, according to the operation’s owner, Alpha Metallurgical Resources.

According to the state Office of Miners Health Safety and Training, Bartram and a Mine Safety and Health Administration inspector were examining an elevator at the plant.

The inspector walked away and came back to find Bartram had been fatally injured.

Bartram’s death is the first at a U.S. coal mine in six months and the third in West Virginia this year. There have been five coal mine fatalities this year, according to MSHA, including three in West Virginia and one each in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The last coal mine fatality, in February, occurred at Alpha’s Black Eagle Mine in Raleigh County.

Coal mine fatalities have reached historic lows in recent years, reflecting a decline in production and employment.

MSHA and state officials are investigating Bartram’s death.