Christopher Todd Richardson, 38, Daniel McFadden, 66, and Jarred Ashmore, 23, were in a muck bucket in a new 550ft airshaft being constructed at the Gibson County Coal operation in the southwestern region of the state, according to various media reports. They were contractors for Frontier-Kemper Constructors.
The incident occurred Saturday at about 10.43am local time, verified the US Mine Safety and Health Administration.
“MSHA officials are at the minesite and will launch a full investigation into the accident,” the agency noted.
According to the Associated Press McFadden was one of the founders of Frontier-Kemper, having started Frontier Constructors in 1965 which then merged with Kemper Constructors 12 years later.
Gibson County Coal is owned by Oklahoma producer Alliance Resource Partners.
No one else was injured, the consulting company confirmed. Alliance representative Debbie King verified for media outlets the accident was not connected to the mine.
