Today, around 4:30pm, a Raleigh County, West Virginia mine exploded killing 6 miners and leaving 20-some miners unaccounted for at Massey Energy Company’s Performance Coal Company Upper Big Branch Mine. Massey Energy Company is based in Richmond, Virginia and has operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia.

Emergency workers are on the scene.

[Updated April 6, 10:00am]

Massey Energy Company has confirmed that 25 miners have been killed and two are in the hospital. Four miners are still missing and rescue operations are ongoing, though rescue workers likely won’t be able to re-enter the mine until early evening today. According to the West Virginia Gazette, “Rescuers were pulled out of the mine early today morning because of dangerously high levels of methane, and crews were beginning the process of drilling boreholes to vent the explosive gases and make it safe for rescuers to return underground.”

“We are still in that rescue operation mode,” said Gov. Joe Manchin. “With that being said, three holes have to be drilled. The best I can tell you is that it’s going to be a very long day.”

Also according to the WV Gazette, in the past year, federal inspectors have cited Massey and fined the company more than $382,000 for repeated serious violations involving its ventilation plan and equipment at the mine run by subsidiary Performance Coal Co. The violations also cover failing to follow the plan, allowing combustible coal dust to pile up, and having improper firefighting equipment.

This disaster is the worst U.S. coal-mining disaster in a quarter century. The Coal Tattoo blog has more on the disaster and how it will affect future mining operations.