Twelve of 13 men are dead in one of the worst mining accidents in years. The White House has promised a full investigation of the disaster. Major questions remain: What sparked the blast that trapped the miners? And why weren't mistaken reports of a miracle rescue corrected more quickly? Betty Casto comforts her husband Earl inside the Sago Baptist Church in Tallmansville, W. Va., Jan. 4, 2006. Earl Casto's cousin George Hamner was one of 12 miners who died.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.  I'm Robert Siegel.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: And I'm Michele Norris.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Their fate is now known.  Twelve of the 13 men are dead in one of the      nation's worst mining accidents in years.  The president of International      Coal Group, the company that owns the mine in West Virginia, called      rescue workers true heroes.  He also said the company did the best it      could under trying circumstances.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: There are still big questions about what happened at the Sago      mine. What sparked the explosion that trapped the men more than 200 feet      below ground?  And why were family members allowed to believe false      reports of the miracle rescue for hours?  From West Virginia, NPR's Frank      Langfitt reports.</s>FRANK LANGFITT reporting: After a wrenching two-day vigil at a coal mine in Sago, West Virginia,      rescuers found all but one miner dead.  As federal officials prepared to      investigate the cause of the blast, the mine company moved in to do      damage control.  At a news conference, officials with the mine's owner,      International Coal Group, tried to explain how miners' family members      received incorrect information that nearly all of their loved ones were      alive.  Company executive Gene Kitts said the root of the problem was      miscommunication between rescue workers underground who were working with      masks around their faces and the people who they relayed their      information to.</s>Mr. GENE KITTS (Executive, International Coal Group): All that we know      is the mine rescue team knew what they found; when it was communicated to      the surface, it came across as 12 alive.</s>LANGFITT: That news quickly spread as rescue workers on the surface      began calling others in the community by cell phone to share what seemed      miraculous news.  Coal company President Ben Hatfield said the company      delayed relaying any information to family members for more than 90      minutes to make sure they had their facts straight.</s>Mr. BEN HATFIELD (President, International Coal Group): We fully      recognize the criticism that the company has received about the manner in      which the news was communicated to the families.  Rightly or wrongly, we      believed it was important to make factual statements to the families.  We      made what we believed to be the best decisions based on the information      available while working under extreme stress and physical exhaustion.      And in the process of being cautious, we allowed the jubilation to go on      longer than it should have.</s>LANGFITT: But for family members, the experience was excruciating.  When      Harley Ables was first told his soon-to-be brother-in-law Fred Ware was      alive, he was elated like everyone else.  Then three hours later, mine      officials told everyone gathered in the church across from the mine that      there had been a huge mistake.  Harley Ables was furious.</s>Mr. HARLEY ABLES: Ten minutes till 12, they said they had 12 survivors.      Ten minutes ago they said they had one survivor and 11 deceased.  Now      they got the whole world thinking there was 12 survivors.  The coal      company is blaming it on communications failure.  They straight out lied      to millions of people watching.</s>LANGFITT: People inside the church said a few fainted at news that      nearly all the miners had died.  Some in the crowd shouted down the mine      company officials.  Nick Helms lost his father Terry, who was a safety      officer in the mine.  He said mine officials did not apologize and that      upon hearing the news, one miner's family member tried to rush company      officials.</s>Mr. NICK HELMS (Son of Victim): There was no apology.  There was no      nothing. There they immediately--out the door with no words.  There      wasn't any punches thrown.  There was--wrestled the one guy down before      he got any closer.</s>LANGFITT: Coal mining has been a way of life for generations of people      in the hills of West Virginia, and it pays well, especially in a part of      the country where good jobs aren't easy to find.  Young miners can make      $75,000 a year here.  But the loss of so many miners at once has people      rethinking the risks. Matthew(ph) and Danielle George(ph) got married      last weekend.  Matthew is 22, and he's been thinking of becoming a miner.      Last night over dinner at a KFC a few miles from the mine, Danielle      explained how their thinking had changed.</s>Mrs. DANIELLE GEORGE: He was wanting to go into the mines, and my mom      was going to help him pay for the classes.  And after I seen that the      other day, I told him he wasn't allowed to go into the mines or I'd hurt      him.</s>LANGFITT: Matthew George says he'd rather work on oil rigs.  It doesn't      pay as well as mining, but he thinks it's safer.</s>Mrs. DANIELLE GEORGE: I thought the mines would be a good place to go, and      then this happened.  And it does discouraging things and...</s>LANGFITT: As the hopes and fears of the community rose and fell last      night, you could read it on the signs businesses put along the side of      the road. When things looked bleak, the local Hardee's asked people to      `pray for our miners.'  When it looked like most were saved, another      signed called them, quote, "our miracle miners."  The sign was still up      several hours after the company told the families the sad truth.  Frank      Langfitt, NPR News, Bridgeport, West Virginia.