Woman dies in West Virginia’s second reported coal mining fatality of 2024

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia woman died Wednesday more than a week after an accident at a southern West Virginia coal mine, Gov. Jim Justice said.

Ashley Cogar, 33, of Erbacon, was injured at the Wyco Surface Mine, near the border of Raleigh and Wyoming counties, Justice said in a news release.

“Our miners are true heroes, providing the essential work needed to energize and power steel-making in our country and worldwide,” Justice said. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to live as we do, and their efforts deserve our utmost respect. Unfortunately, this tragic loss highlights the daily risks our fearless miners face.”

The July 12 accident involved power haulage, which is equipment such as shuttle cars, scoops, locomotives and front end loaders, according to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration.

Further details of the accident, which is under investigation by the Mine Safety and Health Administration and the state Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training, were unavailable, said Andy Malinoski, a spokesperson for the state Department of Homeland Security.

According to MSHA, the mine is operated by Pocahontas Coal Co. LLC and controlled by Metinvest, a worldwide supplier of raw materials and steel products based in The Netherlands.

It was the second reported coal fatality of the year in West Virginia and the fourth nationally, according to the Mine Safety and Health Administration. There were nine such U.S. deaths last year.

The employment of women in the mining industry in general is rare. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 15% of the industry’s workers were women in 2021, the latest year available. It didn’t provide a breakdown of employment by gender in coal mining.