By Life Quotes, Inc. Staff

Senior executives at Massey Energy – owners of the Upper Big Branch coal mine that made national news earlier this year after an explosion that killed nearly 30 workers – will soon be subpoenaed by lawyers from the Department of Labor.

Despite having interviewed 166 mostly low-level workers from the mine, the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration says that it has not yet gathered enough information to make a definitive statement about what caused the devastating explosion.

However, speculation is mounting that unsafe working conditions may have contributed to the blast, and federal regulators have discounted pictures released by Massey of a supposed crack in the floor through which dangerous methane gas entered the mine. Investigators are also looking into the absence of several methane detectors that should have been operating in the mine.

Massey Energy Company has operations in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. They are the fourth largest coal extractor in the United States by revenue.

For workers in a dangerous field like coal mining, insuring the financial stability of their families is paramount. A life insurance policy can help shield loved ones from the financial effects of a tragedy.

Updated case information can be found on the WSAZ News Channel 3 website.

This article was originally published by Life Quotes, Inc.