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The US Federal Department of Labor has announced that a full investigation into the Sago Mine disaster has already begun, including inquiries regarding the misstatements by some officials about the fates of the trapped miners. Some officials announced that 11 out of 12 of the miners were alive and being brought to the surface, though it turned out later that 11 were dead and there was only one survivor.
Though officials learned of the deaths only 20 minutes after announcing the miners were alive, they waited three hours until they revealed that the miners were actually dead. The news brought chaos to this small community where family members and concerned townspeople had gathered to await the rescue operations'' outcome.
Fights broke out, several people had panic attacks, and others had to be given medical care due to other emotional responses from the news. A SWAT team was called in to restore order and police tried to restrain people from acting out.
The news that the miners were alive was broadcast across several major news organizations, including USA Today , who had a headline boasting the survival of the trapped miners. All of the news was immediately pulled, however, once the truth was learned.
The miners were trapped since Monday while working about 260 feet underground in this small Western Virginia town. The men were found gathered together underground behind a barrier that they made in order to block out any carbon monoxide. Several investigations are under way to determine the cause of the accident and the reasons behind the false information.
Over the past five years the Sago Mine has had an increasing amount of safety violations, including over 200 in the last year alone
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