One man is dead and another man is trapped beneath tons of rubble following the collapse of a coal preparation mine in Kentucky, local media reported Wednesday.
The incident happened Tuesday night. The 10-story plant, which had been out of commission for “several years,” was being readied for demolition. It had been sold and workers “were salvaging what they could out of it,” Martin County Sheriff John Kirk said, according to local television station WYMT.
Authorities said rescue teams were dispatched to the scene around 6:30 p.m. ET.
Two men were believed to be on the bottom floor when the building collapsed. Rescue crews were able to locate one of them, Kirk said. That man was able to speak with the rescue workers, who were “inside of the rubble trying to free him.”
“This is a lot of weight. A lot of large metal structures, a lot of concrete, and very confined space last. Very tight spaces,” Kirk said, noting the process could take days.
Kentucky, keep praying — but the scene is bad and we should be prepared for tough news out of Martin County. ^AB https://t.co/XHUeJWsu7R
— Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) November 1, 2023
Early Wednesday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in Martin County, mobilizing additional state resources to help with rescue efforts.
“Two workers are trapped inside and a number of teams are working to rescue these individuals,” Beshear wrote on X, formerly Twitter, just after 6 a.m.
About an hour later, Beshear asked Kentucky to “keep praying,” but warned the scene was “bad” and people “should be prepared for tough news out of Martin County.”
Authorities have yet to release the identities of the victims.
