With their escape routes blocked by heavy smoke, most of the 13 miners caught in an explosion did what they were trained to do.

JOY gave way to grief and anger yesterday when a West Virginia coal town learned that 12 of 13 miners trapped in a mine explosion had died.

A TOP coal company official expressed regret last night that the families of the 12 dead miners were mistakenly led to believe for three hours that their loved ones were alive.

FAMILY members believe the officials likely knew of the miners’ fates some time before then - maybe as soon as 20 minutes after the celebration began.

A coal company executive says it became clear within 20 minutes that the news anxious family members had received about the survival of a dozen trapped miners was terribly wrong.

Family members learned early today that 11 of the 12 coal miners who were initially thought to have survived an explosion in a US coal mine have died.

Twelve miners caught in an explosion in a US coalmine were found alive today - more than 41 hours after the blast.

A MINING company executive said officials are “very discouraged” by air quality tests in the mine where 13 workers are trapped, and planned to drill a third hole to take additional air samples.

Rescuers trying to reach 13 trapped US miners punched a hole into the mine early today, but a company executive said he was “very discouraged” by air quality tests.

Rescuers who had penetrated more than 9,000 feet into a West Virginia coal mine where 13 miners were believed trapped were ordered to return to the surface today as a drilling crew prepared to punch into the mine with a 6 1/4 inch hole.