W.Va. coal-mine disaster prompts criminal probe

Source Washington Post

The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation of the West Virginia coal mine explosion that killed 29 people, and FBI agents have interviewed current and former employees of the mine's owner, law enforcement sources said Friday. The probe, which is at least a week old, is focused on the deadly April 5 blast and the circumstances surrounding it, the sources said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. The Upper Big Branch coal mine in Montcoal, W.Va., is owned by Massey Energy Co. It had been cited for numerous safety violations, including a dozen in the weeks before the explosion for problems ventilating the mine and preventing a buildup of deadly methane.