Something Gone Badly Wrong

And it was not just one major tragedy.

This week U.S. coal mine deaths for the year climbed to 24. That's 12 in the Sago explosion, two in the Aracoma mine fire, plus 10 more. Ten individual deaths.

Last year at this time, the total number of coal mining deaths was 3.

The corresponding figure was 9 in 2004, 11 in 2003 and 10 in 2002.)