Rescuers Need 3 More Days

It will be at least three more days before the six coal miners trapped underground in Utah can be reached—and even then rescuers will have only a 2-inch hole to communicate with the miners, if any survived, and give them food or air. Rescue crews are only 310 feet closer to the miners 30 hours after the cave-in, the AP reports, and more than 1,500 feet remain.

A mine owner on the scene reiterated that an earthquake was to blame for the incident, and denied that workers had been engaged in “retreat mining”—a dangerous method that causes intentional collapses when pillars made of coal are removed. "The pillars were not being removed here at the time of the accident," he said. "There are eight solid pillars around where the men are right now."  (More Utah stories.)