Governor calls for prayers as search & rescue efforts continue
The 11-story building, reportedly a shuttered coal processing building owned by Lexington Coal Company, collapsed, leaving two workers trapped “underneath multiple floors of concrete and steel, and a number of teams working to rescue these individuals,” according to a Nov. 1 press release from Kentucky Emergency Managment and the office of Gov. Andy Beshear, who also signed an executive order to mobilize state resources to help rescue the trapped workers.
Photo from YouTube
Gov. Beshear released a statement this morning: “I have signed an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in Martin County following the collapse of a coal preparation plant. Two workers are trapped inside, and a number of teams are working to rescue these individuals. The order mobilizes state resources to help. Kentucky, please join Britainy and me in praying for their safety and for the brave teams working to rescue them. We will share more information as available.”
The Governor also added, “Kentucky, keep praying – but the scene is bad and we should be prepared for tough news out of Martin County.”
Col. Jeremy Slinker, the Director of Kentucky Emergency Management (KYEM), is on scene and working the incident as part of a unified command with several partner agencies. KYEM Assistant Director of Operations Dustin Heiser is also on scene manning KYEM’s Mobile Command Vehicle. KYEM Area Manager (AM) Region 8 Chris Hecker, AM 7 Jason York and AM 5 Marti Burton are also on the scene supporting local search and rescue efforts, along with: Jefferson County Urban Search and Rescue; Lexington Fire Department Special Operations Unit; the National Guard’s Special Tactics Squadron K9 search dog; and the Northern Kentucky Technical Rescue Team.
Resources deployed at this time include bottled water for first responders and the Mobile Command Vehicle.
Comments