Bodies of two missing miners recovered after salt mine roof collapse in Louisiana

The bodies of two missing miners were recovered after a salt mine roof collapsed in Louisiana, the mine’s operator announced Wednesday.

Cargill, the food production company, released a statement saying the body of the second missing miner was found Tuesday evening after they were killed in Monday’s roof collapse of the Avery Island mine.

The company reported earlier Tuesday that responders had recovered the body of the other missing miner who was also killed in the incident.

“Our hearts are broken for our colleagues and their families,” Cargill said in a statement. “To respect their privacy, we will not be sharing further details about the employees at this time. We continue to offer both families support and extend our deepest condolences for their loss.”

The Avery Island salt mine’s roof collapsed as 18 employees were working Monday morning. Sixteen of those workers evacuated and did not have injuries, but Cargill reported two miners were unaccounted for. 

Cargill said the company is investigating in partnership with the Mine and Safety Administration “to better understand what caused the accident.” 

“We are committed to learning from this tragedy and remain unwavering in our dedication to safe operations,” its statement read.

The Acadiana Advocate reported Monday that Mine Safety and Health Administration records indicated that federal inspectors issued more than 50 citations this year for the salt mine. Cargill, which operates three mines in the U.S., was cited for most of those violations. 

In an earlier statement, Cargill denied the violations were related to the roof collapse.  

“While we are still investigating the cause of today’s roof collapse, there is no indication it is related to the inspection issues identified in the recent MSHA citations,” its statement said.