Mystery (Underground?) Explosions in Hazard, Kentucky - December 11, 2011

December 13, 2011 – KENTUCKY – There are still no answers as to what caused an apparent explosion in Perry County Sunday night. Crews spent hours searching Sunday night after initial reports of a possible plane crash, but they gave up the search around 1:00 a.m. and said it was probably an explosion at an abandoned mine. Now officials with the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands are saying there is no evidence at the mine that would support an explosion. Some say they felt their homes shaking, others say they saw a fireball, but as of now no one can say for sure what happened in Perry County Sunday night. Preliminary reports of possible plane crash were ruled out after searching for hours and finding no crash scene, which led officials to this explanation. “There is a mine break up there. It happens in eastern Kentucky with a lot with old abandoned mines. They catch fire, smoke real bad, and sometimes they flame up. It does kill the trees around and that is possibly what could be seen from the air,” said Lotts Creek Fire Chief Chris Engle. Officials from the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands were called Monday to investigate and found that there is a coal seam fire that is causing the smoke and the burned trees, but that’s all they are able to confirm. My investigators found no evidence of an explosion or a fire ball. There was no crater no debris that they could ascertain,” said the Director of the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands Steve Hohmann. So until more information can be found, that leaves no explanation for the shaking houses and what appeared to be a fireball in the sky, but some in the area have their own explanation for what happened. “If there is no plane missing I think it probably could be a U.F.O. If there is no debris, it probably burned before it hit the ground,” said Perry County resident Kathy Collins. For now, it remains a mystery. Officials with the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands say they are planning to go back up to the mine site on Wednesday.

UPDATES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzNg-XjK18s:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2a5BI7AbGhs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3LNyeMfos0
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This took place late last night in the area of Hazard, Kentucky. I'll post the follow-up reports as they come in, meow.

"Searchers in eastern Kentucky say they'll head back out Monday if they get additional information about a mysterious explosion.

There were reports of fireball sightings and shaking Sunday night around Lothair in Perry County.

Crews searched the area for hours.

Officials say helicopters spotted charred trees and smoke near High Rock Mountain in the Sulks Branch area of Perry County.

Fire officials say a break in an abandoned mine is the best explanation for now.

"Old abandoned mines, they catch fire and smoke real bad. Sometimes, they flame up and it does kill the trees and shrubbery around," said Chris Engle of Lotts Creek Fire Department."

"That's possibly what's been seen from the air," said Engle.

Officials suspended their search around 1 a.m. Monday."

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Abandoned_mine_may_have_caused_explosion_1...
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Sounds weird though. Airplane ? fireballs? and the earth shook... Is this at all related to other recent booms heard and felt in Louiseville, KY that have been 'explained away' as having been training drills coming from Ft. Knox? Derp?!

Various sources, check out the call letters of the stations and search accordingly.