CHARLESTON, W.Va., Aug. 24 (UPI) -- The lone survivor of a West Virginia mine explosion in January and families of two of the 12 others killed have filed lawsuits against the mine.
Randal McCloy Jr., was the only one of 13 miners rescuers found alive after 41 hours of digging at the Sago coal mine after the Jan. 2 explosion near Buckhannon, W. Va.
One miner was killed instantly by the methane explosion, while the others succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
The three suits focus on safety violations by mine owner International Coal Group, and five other suppliers, the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette reported Thursday.
In the families' suits, they also fault ICG for taking three hours to correct false reports that all 12 trapped miners had been found alive.
"The intolerable and outrageous conduct of defendant ICG was such that it was substantially certain that emotional distress would result from its conduct, (and) was beyond all possible bounds of decency," the suits claim.
