NATION IN BRIEF : WEST VIRGINIA : 4 Killed, 3 Injured in Coal Mine Blast

An above-ground explosion at a coal mine in Blacksville, W.Va., killed four workers and injured three others, authorities said. The explosion at Consolidation Coal Co.’s mine could be felt at least 15 miles away. It occurred in a seven-story building containing two empty coal bins that stood atop the mine’s deep shaft. Workers had been preparing to seal the shaft. Company officials said the cause of the explosion wasn’t known. Some of the workers had been using acetylene torches, a spokesman said. No one was inside the mine, which has been idle since June.