MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. (AP) — A new West Virginia highway marker commemorates the Siltix Mine explosion that killed seven people.
The marker was unveiled last week in Mount Hope on the 55th anniversary of the blast, the Herald-Dispatch reported.
The explosion was caused by the ignition of built-up methane gas, according to the marker, which also notes that 39 miners were able to escape unharmed.
The marker is sponsored by Mount Hope Heritage & Hope and the National Coal Heritage Area Authority along with the City of Mount Hope, the West Virginia Archives and History and the state Division of Highways.
More than 1,000 highway markers note significant locations across the state of West Virginia.