FBI Probes Owners of Upper Big Branch Mine
![](https://preprod.bigthink.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/origin-353.jpg?w=240&h=135&crop=1)
The FBI has opened a criminal probe of Massey Energy in connection with the explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine that killed 29 miners in West Virginia last month. Federal agents are looking into potential bribery of federal mine safety officials, unnamed sources told NPR.
The Upper Big Branch mine disaster was the worst coal mining disaster in the United States in a quarter of a century. The mine had a long history of safety violations.
Photo credit: flickr user untitledproductions, licensed under Creative Commons.