Investigators Blame Massey's Culture of “Wrongdoing” for Mine Disaster
The first investigative report on the Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in West Virginia last spring blames the corporate culture of mine operator Massey Energy for the deaths of the 29 miners who were killed in the blast. A corporate “culture in which wrongdoing became acceptable, and deviation became the norm” allowed inadequate ventilation and clouds of explosive dust that ultimately led to an underground explosion and the nation's deadliest mine disaster in 40 years, according to the report. The report was compiled by an independent team of investigators hired by the state of West Virginia and also faults the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration for failing to provide proper oversight of the mine.
Bombings in Iraq Kill at Least 25 Police Officers
A bomb blast in the northern Iraq city of Kirkuk killed at least 25 police officers and injured 86 others today, according to The Washington Post. The bomb detonated in a garage full of emergency personnel who had responded to an earlier blast. The attack was one of several aimed at police in Iraq following the arrest of local leaders with suspected ties to al-Qaeda. A roadside bomb in the same area went off half an hour after the explosion in the garage, injuring a police investigator and five others. A booby-trapped car later exploded near a police convoy 40 miles north of Baghdad. The car bomb killed two civilians and injured ten others.
Guantanamo Detainee Commits Suicide
A Guantanamo Bay detainee apparently committed suicide on Wednesday, the eighth death of a prisoner at the detention facility, according to Politico. The 37-year-old detainee, known as Inyatullah, was found dead in his cell, and the Army is investigating the apparent suicide. Inyatullah was an admitted al-Qaeda member who had been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2007 without any charges filed against him.
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