The Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) reported four mining fatalities last month, increasing the year-to-date total to 18 through Aug. 3.
Mine fatalities this year are occurring at a faster pace than last year, which had 12 by Aug. 3. Fatal mining incidents are, however, trending at a better pace than 2023 (26 through Aug. 3 that year) and 2021 (24). Year-to-date fatalities are on the same pace as 2022.
MSHA reported just one fatality in June of this year, marking the 14th such incident of 2025. Including July’s four fatalities, the industry is now on track to finish the year with 30 miner deaths. That would match 2022’s full-year total but be less than 2021 (38) and 2023 (40). The total would be an increase from last year, though, when MSHA reported 28 fatalities.
According to MSHA, two miners died on July 12. One of the fatalities occurred at an underground zinc mine in Tennessee, with the cause reported as fall of roof or back. The second incident that day occurred at a cement facility in Colorado and was caused by a powered haulage incident.
On July 26, a miner died at an underground platinum group ore facility in Montana. The fatality was classified as an electrical incident. The final fatality in the month happened July 29 at a surface dimensional granite operation in California. Machinery was the reported cause.
With four fatalities reported in the month, July now has the second-highest fatality total this year. January had the most mining fatalities with five. February and March had three each, May had two and June had one. No fatalities were reported in April.
Through seven months of the year, powered haulage continues to be the leading cause of mining fatalities with seven recorded incidents. Machinery is responsible for the second-most fatalities, with four.
Fall or slide of material and fall of face, rib or highwall are each responsible for two 2025 fatalities. Fall of roof or back, electrical and explosives and breaking agents were each the cause of one fatality this year.
Construction sand and gravel and coal operations have had the most fatalities in 2025 with four apiece, followed by cement with two. Dimensional stone, crushed broken granite, crushed broken limestone, sand industrial, iron ore, zinc, platinum group ore and dimensional granite operations make up the rest of this year’s fatalities, with one each.
Of the 18 fatalities so far this year, 14 occurred at surface mines while four happened at underground sites.
