Three killed in Utah coal mine rescue

August 17, 2007 Three rescue workers at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah were killed trying to rescue six trapped miners who have been missing for over a week.

Utah's governor, Jon Huntsman, honored the dead rescuers by saying, "There's nothing more selfless than someone giving their life in pursuit of saving someone else."

Six other workers were injured in what is being called a seismic "bump." Seismologists said a similar incident happened on the day of the original August 6 cave in. A "bump" is caused by coal shooting out from the walls of a mine due to extreme pressure.

No further details were available about the official cause of the rescuers' deaths. Their identities also were not released.

All rescue efforts to find the remaining six missing miners have been called off for now. It is not known at this time if the six miners are alive or dead.