Most of the trapped 13 West Virginian coal miners survived the explosion itself and tried to survive by going deeper into the mine, said the company that owned the mine.

The miners then hung up a curtain-like barrier to keep out the toxic carbon monoxide gas while they waited to be rescued. They were also wearing their self-contained breathing apparatuses.

It was the deadliest mine disaster in the United States in more than four years.

The miners became trapped after an explosion early Monday morning in the Sago mine, about 160 kilometres northeast of Charleston.

Only one miner, Randal McCloy, was found alive Tuesday night when rescuers finally reached the miners.

The last body was removed from the mine at midmorning Wednesday.

The president of the mining company that owned the mine apologized for the misinformation that led their relatives to believe the miners were instead alive.

"We sincerely regret the manner in which the events unfolded early this morning," Ben Hatfield, president of the mine's owner International Coal Group Inc., said Wednesday afternoon.

This apology came after relatives first heard news their loved ones were alive. However by 3 a.m. Wednesday morning they were told 12 of the 13 miners were instead found dead.

Hatfield explained that the rescue command centre for the mine received a report at 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night of the 12 miners being found alive.

He said the initial report spread quickly as people overheard cellphone calls between rescuers and command centre.

But at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, the command centre received another report that 11 miners died. ICG's first response was to not believe the report. The information was verified almost an hour later though.

However, ICG waited to release the information until they found out more information about the rescue.

ICG couldn't explain the cause of miscommunication. Gene Kitts, a vice-president of the company, suggested the error occurred because the rescuers were wearing full-face oxygen masks when they used radios to communicate with the command centre.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, who earlier hailed the rescue as a miracle, apologized for the mistaken information.

"About the confusion, I can't tell you of anything more heartwrenching that I have gone through in my life. Nothing," he said.

Emotional roller coaster

CNN's Christopher King told CTV's Canada AM the families of the miners have been on an "emotional roller coaster."

"Of course they were given some information that conflicted with later information. They didn't understand why they were kept in the dark for so long," he said, reporting from the scene at Tallmansville.

"We heard reports they were kept in the dark for about four hours and were celebrating for three our four hours and later told this horrifying information," King said.

The communications failings have prompted tempers to boil over in community, King reported.

The Associated Press reports that chaos broke out in the church and a fight erupted among families of the victims upon word there was only one survivor.

Meanwhile, about a dozen state troopers and a SWAT team have been deployed along the road near the church to quell further violence.

"He strictly told us they were alive," Anna Casto told CNN. "Then three hours later he came back ... we got our hopes built up and you just don't do that to people."

"I feel like I've been lied to," Sam Lance, the brother- in-law of one of the dead miners, told CNN. "This is the worst thing I've ever been through.

"Everyone is stunned right now."

Anne Meredith, whose father died in the incident, said she planned to sue International Coal Group.

Sole survivor

The only survivor is McCloy, 26, who is reported to be in critical but stable condition with a collapsed lung and dehydration, but no signs of brain damage.

"I do expect, if the trend continues, that he will improve," Dr. Lawrence Roberts told reporters at a press conference updating McCloy's condition.

Most of the other miners were in their 50s, and Roberts said that McCloy's youth and good health may have helped him stay alive.

"I am here today with the one miracle that came out of this, and that is the young man, Randal McCloy Jr., who struggles but he is struggling to live," said the governor's wife Gayle Manchin.

At the White House, U.S. President George Bush told the mourners the nation was grieving their loss.

"We send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to the loved ones whose hearts are broken," he said. "We ask that the good Lord comfort them in their time of need."