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

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.

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.