Crews Work to Rescue 2 Trapped After Collapse of Kentucky Plant Being Demolished at Abandoned Mine

INEZ, Ky. (AP) — Crews worked Wednesday to rescue two men trapped after the collapse of a more than 10-story coal preparation plant that was being demolished at an abandoned mine site in eastern Kentucky, officials said.

The collapse was reported around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Martin County Sheriff John Kirk said first responders were able to find and make contact with one of the two men, news outlets reported. Officials didn’t know the extent of their injuries.

In a social media post Wednesday morning, Gov. Andy Beshear said he had declared a state of emergency in the county — mobilizing state resources to help with the rescue. The governor asked for prayers for the safety of the workers and the rescue teams.

“Kentucky, keep praying — but the scene is bad and we should be prepared for tough news out of Martin County,” Beshear said in a post about two hours later.

The workers were trapped under multiple floors of concrete and steel while working to demolish the building at the abandoned mine site on Wolf Creek, Martin County Judge Executive Lon E. Lafferty said in a social media post early Wednesday.

The plant hasn’t been in use for several years, Kirk said. The men were on the bottom floor of the building when it collapsed, trapping them beneath tons of rubble, Kirk said.

Several rescuers were inside the rubble as part of the rescue effort, Kirk said. The rescue could take days, Kirk said.

“This is a lot of weight. A lot of large metal structures, a lot of concrete, and very confined space last. Very tight spaces,” he said.