Details of the 9 coal mining deaths that occurred in 2016

Details of the nine U.S. coal mining deaths that have occurred in 2016. If the number holds up, it would be the lowest ever.

WEST VIRGINIA

- Jan. 4: Peter D. Sprouse, 53, died after becoming entangled in an underground conveyor belt in the Lower War Eagle Mine.

- May 16: Eric Meddings, 50, was found unconscious in the seat of his locomotive in the ACI Tygart Valley Leer Mine. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

- July 29: Donald E. Workman, 58, died from a methane-ignited blast while welding at the Spartan’s Road Fork #51 Mine.

- Sept. 23: Matthew B. Davis, 46, died in a vehicle crash at the Marfork Coal’s Slip Ridge Cedar Grove Mine.

KENTUCKY

- Jan. 19: A continuous mining machine pinned 36-year-old Nathan G. Phillips against a wall at the Dotiki Mine.

- March 25: Mark Frazier, 48, was killed when a wall collapsed underground at the Lone Creek Mine.

PENNSYLVANIA

- Jan. 16: Jeremy R. Neice, 31, died in a wall collapse while operating a continuous mining machine. He worked at Dana Mining Company’s West Mine.

ILLINOIS

- June 6: Robbie E. Clark, died when a diesel front-end loader fell on him at the American Coal Company New Era Mine.

ALABAMA

- Dec. 2: Yujun Qian, 36, died during the installation of a longwall mining shield at the Oak Grove Mine.