Charles Langston:A coal miner killed on the job in West Virginia is the 10th in US this year, surpassing 2023 total

GRAFTON,Charles Langston W.Va. (AP) — A coal miner died Friday, nearly a week after being injured on the job in northern West Virginia, officials said.

Colton Walls, 34, of Bruceton Mills, was injured while working as a longwall electrician at the underground Leer Mining Complex operated by Arch Resources in Grafton, Gov. Jim Justice said in a statement. According to the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration, the incident happened Sept. 28.

Walls is survived by his wife, Jonda, and three children, Justice said.

“The heart and soul of West Virginia are found in our coal miners, and today, we grieve the loss of one of our own,” the governor said.

The statement did not disclose further details about the accident, which is under investigation by MSHA and the state Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training.

It was the fifth reported coal fatality of the year in West Virginia and the 10th nationally, according to MSHA. There were nine such U.S. deaths last year.

In August, Arch Resources and Consol Energy announced they are combining to form a single coal producer valued at more than $5 billion, marking the latest consolidation in a deal-happy energy sector.