AN EXPERIENCED miner was killed in an horrific accident at the National Coal Mining Museum.
It is thought the 58-year-old was crushed to death by a piece of machinery as he carried out excavation work at the tourist destination near Grange Moor yesterday morning.
The man was working as part of a team of contractors creating 200-metres of new tunnels when the incident happened at about 8am.
The museum, which usually opens at 10am, remained closed for a second day today after the Health and Safety Executive and West Yorkshire Police launched an investigation.
A spokeswoman for the museum last night spoke of the staff’s sadness following the incident.
She said: “We can confirm with regret that an experienced mine worker not employed by the museum received fatal injuries while working underground at around 8am this morning.
“He was working for contractors extending an underground roadway.
“It is believed he may have been trapped by the machinery he was operating.
“We would like to express how saddened we are by the incident and extend our sympathies to his family.”
A notice on the museum’s website and answering machine said the venue was closed “due to unforeseen circumstances”.
The HSE’s Mines Inspectorate and the police are investigating.
A police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to a report of an incident at the National Coal Mining Museum at about 8.20am. A man was taken to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield with injuries from which he subsequently died.”
Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it had attended reports of a man trapped in the mine.
The coroner’s office has been informed.
The museum opened in 1988 offering visitors the chance to take a 450ft journey underground to see for themselves how miners worked.
Since then, 120,000 visitors a year have taken the tour around the 500m network of tunnels.
Thanks to a £1.9million Lottery grant, mining work started last year to create a new network of tunnels.
A team of 14 men, working 5pm to 10am daily, have been excavating hundreds of tonnes of rock to complete the project, which will cost £2.7million in total.
It was the first mining work to be carried out at the museum in 23 years.
The results will include underground classrooms, a geology section, interactive activities to show youngsters the sights and sounds of mining, a ‘touch and feel’ sensory section, and areas for working machinery.
A furnace shaft – used to bring air into the mine from the surface – is being restored and will be open to the public for the first time since 1940.
It has not been yet confirmed if the work will continue.
