HAMILTON COUNTY, IL (WSIL) -- One person is dead after an accident at a coal mine in Hamilton County.
A statement from Hamilton County Coal, LLC General Manager of Operations Jay Emery says an accident happened Saturday morning with one of its employees at the Hamilton No. 1 Mine facility.
According to the statement, a Hamilton County Coal employee was in the process of installing supplemental roof support and was injured after a roof fall just after 2 a.m. Saturday morning.
Co-workers were able to reach the employee and tried to resuscitate him while taking him to the surface of the mine.
The employee was taken to the Hamilton Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
The release states federal and state agencies were notified about the accident. It also states an investigation between the agencies and Hamilton County Coal, LLC is ongoing.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we ask you to join us in extending support to this miner’s family, friends, and co-workers during this difficult time," Emery said in the release.
Later in the evening, a fire broke out damaging a building at Hamilton County Coal resulting in five workers taken to the hospital according to McLeansboro Fire Chief Jim Morris.
