| Two West Virginia coal miners were killed yesterday in a McDowell County mine following a roof collapse.
The Cucumber mine accident occurred more than a mile from the entrance.
The miners have been killed one year after the Sago disaster, with problems still lingering regarding the use of new breathing devices and safety equipment still not in place.
The McDowell miners were part of a crew engaged in a technique called retreat mining, which involves removing pillars of coal that were first left as roof supports.
Thirty-five miners were underground at the time of the accident.
The miners are the first fatalities in WV coal mines this year. Last year, 24 people died in the Mountain State.
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