Third rescue hole set for Utah mine

HUNTINGTON, Utah, Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Drilling of a large, third rescue hole began Monday in the search for six trapped coal miners in Huntington, Utah.

Richard Stickler, the head of the federal Mine Health and Safety Administration, said at a Sunday news conference cameras and microphones have detected no sign of life after being lowered through two holes that were drilled last week.

Since the Aug. 6 collapse, a 2-inch hole was bored down along with another nearly nine inches wide. Fresh air was being pumped down nearly 1,900 feet through the smaller hole, a New York Times correspondent reported.

Another 9-inch hole was begun on Monday approaching the miners diagonally, which will run about 1,414 feet and take until Thursday to complete, Stickler said.

Stickler said while it was disappointing no signs of life have been seen or heard, he recounted how a group of miners trapped in a collapse in 2002 at the Quecreek Mine in Pennsylvania survived for 11 days, the report said.