According to the Associated Press, officials for the state Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training confirmed the incident at Kingwood Mining’s Whitetail Kittanning Mine too place at about 2pm local time.

Spokeswoman Jama Jarrett told the news service she could not elaborate on the miners’ conditions or the condition of the mine.

The Preston County operation is controlled by Alpha Natural Resources.

Requests for comment by ILN from the US Mine Safety and Health Administration and the WVOMHST were not returned by press time.

Last month, the mine was handed more than $US763,000 in citations from MSHA for 13 coal dust accumulation violations in a one-year span. The coal and dust had been identified along the mine’s beltline, creating a combustion hazard.

In the agency’s statement regarding the violations, director Richard Stickler said Alpha did not act "despite its own records and prior notice from MSHA that clearly indicated the need for corrective actions to protect the safety of miners".

Meanwhile, the AP noted, the mine has planned to appeal the fines, claiming MSHA had the option to idle the mine if it considered the workers to be in imminent danger.

Whitetail Kittanning produces approximately 1.4 million tons per annum with a staff of about 260.

Alpha controls 57 mines within West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Its merger with Cliffs Natural Resources is still pending.