Kentucky coal building collapse kills 1 worker, traps one other

(Reuters) – The collapse of an idle coal-sorting building in Kentucky killed one man and trapped another man under the rubble, authorities said on Wednesday.

The 11-story structure at the Martin Mine Prep Plant in Martin County caved in on Tuesday evening, the Kentucky Emergency Management agency said in a statement. The two workers were trapped underneath multiple floors of concrete and steel.

Authorities did not say what caused the collapse of the building, which has not been in use for several years. Local media reported that the structure was being dismantled when it fell.

Governor Andy Beshear confirmed on social media that one of the two trapped workers was dead. The governor issued a state of emergency for Martin County, which mobilizes state resources to assist at the scene.

Martin County Sheriff John Kirk said rescuers had been speaking with one of the trapped men, but that he subsequently died. The other missing man has not been found in the rubble.

“We still are attempting to locate him,” Kirk said of the missing man. “We are still considering it a rescue operation.”