Air tests discouraging in W. Virginia mine

Air quality tests indicate a "very dangerous" level of carbon monoxide inside the West Virginia coal mine where 13 workers have been trapped for over 24 hours, a top mine company official said on Tuesday.

"While we are very disappointed by the information we have received thus far, we remain determined to continue the search so long as there is hope," said Ben Hatfield, president and CEO of International Coal Group (ICG), which owns the Sago Mine, where 13 miners are trapped in a collapsed shaft some 80 meters (260 feet) underground.

Air quality tests indicated that carbon monoxide levels inside the mine were at "a very dangerous and toxic level" of 1,300 parts per million, Hatfield said, adding that "respirable air that exceeds 400 parts per million for 15 minutes' exposure is the upper limit that would sustain life."

"There is hope that they could be in another location or they could be barricaded somewhere, protected from that level of carbon monoxide," he noted. "But certainly, if they were in this particular location, that's not an environment that would sustain life."

With no contact with the trapped miners since an explosion rocked the Sago Mine early Monday, rescuers were digging by hand to prevent sparks from heavy boring equipment from setting off another blast, said Gene Kitts, a senior vice president of ICG.

Officials were sending a 590-kilo (1,300-pound) robot into the mine on Tuesday to ensure that conditions were safe before rescue crews were sent deeper into the mine.

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin remained hopeful early Tuesday, telling CNN: "We still believe in miracles. ... We hope for the best here, that they could have found good air and blocked themselves in.

"These are brave people and good people, hard-working people, and the families are clinging and pulling together and drawing off of each other's inner strength," he said.