Ky. Governor on Coal Plant Collapse: 'The Scene Is Bad'

Two men working to demolish an 11-story building at an abandoned mine site in Martin County, Kentucky, became trapped Tuesday night when the building collapsed, and Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday that at least one of the men is dead. The other man's condition is unknown. Workers are attempting to get through tons of debris left by multiple collapsed floors of concrete and steel at Martin Mine Prep Plant, and Martin County Sheriff John Kirk says the rescue could take days. "This is a lot of weight. A lot of large metal structures, a lot of concrete, and very confined [spaces]. Very tight spaces," Kirk said, per the AP.

The men were on the bottom floor when the collapse occurred at 6:30pm. "Kentucky, keep praying—but the scene is bad," wrote Beshear in a Wednesday post on X. He declared a state of emergency in the county so that state resources could be used in the rescue. (More Kentucky stories.)