One dead, eight injured in Utah mine rescue effort: official

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - One rescuer died and eight others were injured after an accident during efforts to reach six miners buried underground in Utah, an official said Thursday.

"There are a total of nine involved, one of whom unfortunately suffered fatal injuries," Utah Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman Tammy Kikuchi said in an interview with CNN.

Earlier media reports said that a "mountain bump" at the Genwal Mine in Crandall Canyon had caused a cave-in at around 6.30pm local time (0030 GMT).

Six ambulances and two paramedic helicopters had been dispatched to the mine, which is located in a remote mountainous region around 120 miles (193 kilometers) southeast of Salt Lake City.

An intensive rescue effort has been underway at the facility since August 6 following a tunnel cave-in believed to have been caused by an earthquake.

There has been no contact with the six miners since the accident although officials have refused to give up hope that the men may have survived.

The Utah drama has revived memories of the doomed effort to reach 13 miners who were trapped after an explosion at the Sago Mine in West Virginia in January 2006. Twelve miners died and only one survived after being buried underground for 41 hours.