As India wrestles with underground collapse, WVU Mine Rescue educator talks about the challenges rescuers face

Rescuers established contact with the workers trapped in Uttarakhand early in the week-long rescue effort. After food and water was provided to those trapped, rescue teams began to drill into the collapsed rubble so that a path to escape can hopefully be established, although at this time the trapped have not been successfully rescued.

During such extrication work, rescue teams are given a great deal of support from the community and the government, said Director of WVU Mining and Industrial Extension Josh Brady.

After the first drilling machine failed to make a sizable impact and caused more debris to fall into the collapsed area, a higher-powered auger drilling machine was brought in by the Indian Air Force to boost the rescue’s progress.

A mine rescue operation is extremely intense and emotional, Brady said — for those trapped, their rescuers, and the world watching, there is confusion, anxiety and frustration.

As mine rescuers start underground, they must identify potential hazards that pose a risk to both rescuers and the trapped. Rescuers first ensure that their area of operations is safe so they can carry on the rescue mission, Brady said.

In India, the collapsed debris is being removed with the help of an excavator and other large machines due to the amount of the rubble present at the relatively large rescue site.

During rescue events in West Virginia’s coal mines however, a smaller piece of machinery called a continuous miner is used in conjunction with roof supports to prevent further collapse, Brady said.

Local mine rescue teams are comprised of 8-10 members. During a rescue event, while one team is actively searching and working underground, there are two teams in reserve on site — one in the fresh air base and another on the surface, he said.

In these very dangerous situations, it is important that rescuers limit dangerous exposure to as few people as possible, which is one of the reasons rescue teams are smaller than some people might imagine, Brady said.

Each member of a mine rescue team is given at least 96 hours of training, which includes many hours performing operations in a breathing apparatus while in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. Mine rescuers also receive training on how to navigate mine maps, conduct teamwork underground, and hazard recognition, he said.

West Virginia has long been a producer of coal and has seen its share of mining disasters, including the No. 9 mine explosion that killed 78 miners in Farmington in November 1968.

WVU’s collegiate mine rescue team is not professionally certified, and they do not respond to actual mine disasters. But the program offers students a pathway to a career in mine rescue, Brady said.

The students on WVU’s mine rescue team are not just engineering students, as many of them are studying to become geologists, computer scientists and electricians, but they all have a passion for mine safety.

“These bright young minds learn skill sets to prevent mine accidents and gain exposure, which makes for a smooth transition from the collegiate to the professional level,” Brady said.