When Tragedy Strikes Twice

I’ve been watching closely the Utah mining disaster for nearly two weeks now and on the 11th day, I felt so saddened that instead of finally reaching the six miners trapped underneath the mines since Monday of last week—-when the pit there collapsed enormously—-three more deaths have occurred.

CNN had been showing even the very tunneling activities made by rescuers—most of whom were colleagues of the trapped miners—-and exhibited almost a blow-by-blow account of the rescue operation; it this was thought to be a first in broadcasting history.

I saw how mothers were crying for fear that the trapped miners were already dead, about six to seven days after being trapped there. I also saw those who feared for the lives of those who tried to save lives by digging new tunnels that would have lead to the estimated area where the trapped miners would possibly be.

And this latest tragic incident happened—-resulting to more lives lost instead of having saved any . It’s like what most call a lost-lost situation. Authorities in Salt Lake City have finally decided to scale down the rescue operation or call it off ultimately for fear of losing more lives.

This decision reached despite that some days ago, some sounds were heard from below the ground by a microphone and had given hope that the six miners might still be alive in a particular chamber underneath the mine, one that was hoped to have breathable space for the trapped miners to survive.

But eleven days hence, hopes have started to die down. Such tragic, tragic disaster really—despite that every disaster is supposed to be tragic in the first place. I am so saddened now realizing how fathers have lost their lives trying to earn their keep and gain a decent living, leaving wives and children behind, as well as brothers, sisters and comrades. How I wish this sort of thing doesn’t happen or have not happened.

I wonder now how mining is such a dangerous undertaking. We’ve heard ever so often how mining disasters occur in every part of the world, from South America to Asia, to places in Peru and in China, over and over again, throughout the years. America is the most developed nation in the world and still, no fool-proof mining scheme have been established despite that as a country, America have been mining minerals such as coal so vigorously for centuries now. The mining operation in Salt Lake City, where the disaster had occurred, was mining for coal to be used for energy and heating in households. There are such 18,000 coal mines spread all over America and as a long as the need for coal remains high, such disaster would always be at risk of happening.

I wonder if the danger posed by coal mining—-which includes sending miners dangerously so deep underneath the ground—-would justify other sourcing of energy like nuclear plants, which some sectors believe could be largely safer when it comes to deaths by accidents, as opposed to mining operations.

But radioactivity or the danger of contamination by such seems to be a looming hazard, like a huge fearful shadow that we often imagine at night when we were still so young as kids trying to get sleep so late at night.

Such is the dilemma posed by this mining disaster, between safety and the need for more and more sources of energy.