Since the 1968 Farmington disaster, coal mining has become relatively safer compared to its deadly past. However, there have been deadly incidents. On January 2, 2006, an explosion at the Sago mine in Upshur County killed 12 miners.

Then, on April 5, 2010, an explosion at the Upper Big Branch (UBB) coal mine in Raleigh County killed 29 miners and injured one. It was West Virginia’s worst mining disaster since Farmington.

The UBB explosion was caused by a spark that lit a methane gas pocket, leading to more explosions. Investigators found that safety systems had failed—and said the mine’s owner, Massey Energy, had ignored safety rules. Massey’s CEO, Don Blankenship, later went to prison for one year for violating mine safety laws.