The West Virginia coal mine tragedy last year that claimed lives of as many as twenty nine miners could have been prevented as it was caused by a relatively small flare-up of methane gas that triggered off a huge coal dust explosion, as stated by federal mine safety officials on Wednesday.

In the initial report Mine Safety and Health Administration officials stated that their investigation figured out that Massey Energy which is the operator of the Upper Big Branch mine, had repeatedly breached federal laws governing ventilation and control of coal dust to lower the risk of explosion.

The officials further stated that the bits on a cutting tool called shearer, in use at the coal seam, were not sharp which produced sparks that could have lighted the methane gas.

Water sprayers that should have put off the flame and controlled the explosive coal dust seemed to be dysfunctional as stated by them.

The mine safety officials issued warnings stating that their findings, which is based on months of testing and hundreds of interviews, were not final and that a more complete report would be ready in sixty to ninety days.

They further said that whether there was any negligence or culpability presenting the incident would be decided by a separate Department of Justice criminal investigation, which is ongoing.

The Upper Big Branch mine explosion that happened on April 5 was the most devastating coal mining accident that happened in the United States in forty years.

The vice president and general counsel of Massey Energy, Shane Harvey, stated that the company had not been told regarding the interim federal findings which were given to the news media on Wednesday and to the families of the deceased and injured miners on Tuesday night.