BECKLEY, W Va. -- WTOV9.COM goes underground. We have exclusive photos and stories from the government's mine safety training academy. Explosions, intense fires, and smoke are produced to challenge miners. How will they respond? Can they prevent the types of accidents that have killed dozens of miners in recent years?

Ever since the deaths of 12 miners in the Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia in 2006, the government has been under intense pressure to beef up its mine safety training program.

Scott MacFarlane went behind-the-scenes to see the safety lessons being taught in the program. Click on the link to the right to watch Scott's report.

To see exclusive photos inside the academy, click on the SLIDESHOW.

To see Scott's new photos of the Sago Mine community, which is still dealing with the devastation of the mine tragedy, click on the BONUS SLIDESHOW link to the right.