Discovery Channel to air 10-part series on coal

New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) At a time when coal is dominating the political discourse in India, a 10-part Discovery Channel television series titled "Coal" premieres Sunday.

A Discovery Networks Asia Pacific release said: "Discovery Channel in its new ten-part series 'COAL' will go underground to explore the workings of a modern coalmine and meet the people who undertake the potentially lethal, complex task of extracting this vital natural resource."

Shot in the coal mines of Virginia in USA, the series, to be aired every Sunday at 7 pm, explores one of the deadliest and vital jobs in the world.

Coal is the largest source of energy for the generation of electricity worldwide.

Miners work long shifts, in spaces and coal seams sometimes as small as 32 inches. There is constant risk of pillar collapse, cave-ins, or trapped methane gas explosions killing everyone in the mine.

Each episode of "Coal" will feature different members of the crew like workers, shift bosses, mine operators, roof bolters and buggy runners, who haul away the load of coal.

The programme will also feature some of the first coal mines that existed in the 19th century.