A consultant hired by the International Coal Group, owner of the Sago Mine where 12 miners lost their lives in an explosion, stated that a lightning strike was the probable cause.ABC News reports that Thomas Novak, a Virginia Tech mining professor hired by International Coal Group (ICG), stated on the second day of investigative hearings that lightning probably flowed from a tree and pulsed along a power line, ultimately igniting methane gas and causing the explosion at the Sago Mine. Once inside, the charge traveled along a steel conveyor belt hanging from a metal mesh roof support, stopping just feet away from the sealed-off section where the blast occurred.“Lightning doesn’t have to strike something directly,” Novak told the panel. He also agreed upon further questioning that his preliminary findings could be characterized as a hypothesis, ABC News reports.The article states that he said he need to examine more data, and ICG said it plans to hire another consultant to assess the mine geology for the possibility of metal in the rock walls, roof and floor. State and federal investigators have not announced their findings, ABC reports, and they were skeptical of Novak’s hypothesis, questioning him repeatedly.However, according to Sarah Jane Bailey, daughter of George Hamner who died in the mine explosion, stated that ICG’s believe that a lightning caused the explosion is an attempt to influence public opinion before the state and federal Mine Safety and Health Administration complete their investigations. Keep checking in at our Security Feed page, or subscribe via RSS, for updated news coverage.By Paul Kerstein Related content feature Top cybersecurity M&A deals for 2023 Fears of recession, rising interest rates, mass tech layoffs, and conservative spending trends are likely to make dealmakers cautious, but an ever-increasing need to defend against bigger and faster attacks will likely keep M&A activity steady in By CSO Staff Sep 22, 2023 24 mins Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions Mergers and Acquisitions brandpost Unmasking ransomware threat clusters: Why it matters to defenders Similar patterns of behavior among ransomware treat groups can help security teams better understand and prepare for attacks By Joan Goodchild Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Cybercrime news analysis China’s offensive cyber operations support “soft power” agenda in Africa Researchers track Chinese cyber espionage intrusions targeting African industrial sectors. By Michael Hill Sep 21, 2023 5 mins Advanced Persistent Threats Cyberattacks Critical Infrastructure brandpost Proactive OT security requires visibility + prevention You cannot protect your operation by simply watching and waiting. It is essential to have a defense-in-depth approach. By Austen Byers Sep 21, 2023 4 mins Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe