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Table of Contents

Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

Mini-Lesson

Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

A Community Says a Sad Goodbye

Sadness overwhelmed Upshur County, West Virginia, last week. Early on Monday morning, an explosion rocked the town's coal mine. The blast trapped 13 miners deep underground. All but one died.

Dangerous conditions, including toxic gases, slowed rescue efforts. It took rescuers 42 hours to reach the victims.

Mining is how natural resources, such as coal and gold, are extracted from the earth. But it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the U.S.

Those who lost family and friends struggled with the awful loss. Their grief was mixed with anger: In the final hours of the rescue mission, news that 12 miners were alive led to a brief celebration. The information was wrong.

As people in the area prepared for funerals, the cause of the explosion was still unknown.

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