Separate accidents in southern West Virginia killed two more coal miners yesterday, surpassing the nation's coal mining death toll for all of last year.

One miner was killed about 12:15 p.m. while running a continuous mining machine in Mystic Energy Inc.'s Candice No. 2 mine near Wharton, Boone County, said Caryn Gresham, spokeswoman for the state Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training.

Amy Louviere, a spokeswoman for the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, said that miner may have been caught and pulled into an underground conveyor belt system.

About three hours later, roof support material and rock fell onto a 15-ton locomotive and killed its operator at the Jacob Mining Company Inc.'s No. 1 Mine near Naugatuck, Mingo County, Ms. Louviere said. The names of the dead miners were not immediately released.

At the time of yesterday's accident, the Jacob mine was subject to inspection, although MSHA records do not indicate a high incidence of violations considered substantial.

One citation that is listed as "significant and substantial" was issued Feb. 22, when federal inspectors cited the mine for failing to properly bolt portions of the roof. The problem was addressed the same day, according to the records.

Both mines are in the coal fields of southwestern West Virginia where four other coal miners died in three accidents earlier this year. Investigators from MSHA and the state mining office had been notified and summoned to both mines, but more details of the incidents were not immediately known, Ms. Gresham said last night.

"We are still reviewing the accidents wth MSHA and mine officials,'' she said.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III, who called for and got mine-safety legislation and safety reviews at all state coal mines after four previous accidents in January and February, said a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine what led to yesterday's deaths, which brought West Virginia mine fatalities to 18 this year.

"We extend our deepest sympathies to the miners' families. Our hearts and prayers go out to them during what we know is a very difficult time,'' the governor said in a statement last night.

United Mine Workers of America President Cecil E. Roberts, who learned of the deaths while preparing for the union's convention next week in Las Vegas, said the union sent its own safety experts to assist with the investigation at the Candice No. 2 mine. The UMW represents workers there.

The Jacob No. 1 mine is a non-union mine, but Mr. Roberts said the union also will assist with that investigation if asked.

The deaths yesterday come three months after an explosion Jan. 2 that trapped and killed 12 miners and injured another inside the Sago mine in Tallmansville, W.Va. Two other miners died in a fire Jan. 19 fire in the Aracoma Alma No. 1 mine in Melville, Logan County.

Two more miners died and a third was injured Feb. 1 in separate incidents at Long Branch Energy's No. 18 Tunnel Mine and the Black Castle Surface Mine, both in Boone County. Those deaths, which occurred in a 30-day period, prompted MSHA to organize a "Stand Down for Safety" nationwide initiative to provide safety reviews for miners.

Yesterday's deaths raises the total of fatalities this year at U.S. coal mines to 23 -- one more than in 2005, according to the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. Three coal miners died on the job last year in West Virginia.

Officials at Mystic LLC and Jacob Mining Co. LLC could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In 2005, Mystic paid a total of $9,500 in fines for 87 separate violations, including 42 listed as "significant and substantial." The highest fines incurred were for violations of allowable dust in the air.

Three of the violations pertained to exposed machinery parts "which may be contacted by persons, and which may cause injury to persons." Those fines ranged from $247 to $305 each. In December 2002, Sidney Green 52, was killed by a roof fall at Candice No. 2.

The Jacob No. 1 mine had two fatalities in 1995, when separate roof falls over a one month period killed two miners. At the time, the mine's owner was listed as Eastern Mingo Coal Co.

Since that time, the mine went through several changes of ownership until it was taken over on June 13 by Jacob Mining Co. LLC. MSHA records list the operator of the firm as Jeffrey Wolford.