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Posted: 12:09 PM- Bob Murray's treatment of the families of miners trapped in the Crandall Canyon mine was "unconscionable," says Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

"There ought to be some modicum of respect for their human dignity in those cases and what [victims' families] are experiencing," Huntsman said at his monthly KUED TV news conference.

Although he avoided using mine owner Murray's name, Huntsman made it clear his criticism was aimed at the outspoken chief executive of Murray Energy.

"The federal folks did everything they could, let me put it that way," Huntsman said. "I'm not going to get into the mine owner other than to say I thought the way the families were treated was unconscionable and they deserved better."

Six coal miners are believed dead and it is likely their bodies will be entombed in the Emery County mine. Three rescuers were killed while trying to reach the miners.

Murray has accused Huntsman of "playing politics" with his call for an independent state investigation of the tragedy and for ordering safety inspections of Murray's other mines.

"No one is playing politics with this situation," Huntsman says. "People are just trying to help with the families."

The federal mine safety system is "broken," Huntsman said. "Congress needs to take a good look at this to make sure it never happens again."

He also pledged the state will investigate ways it can contribute to mine safety, even if it means expanding direct oversight of mine safety.

Huntsman joined with the families' complaints that not enough was done to rescue or recover the bodies of the trapped miners.

"I'm not happy or satisfied with the way it played out," Huntsman says. "I'm not convinced that every technology has been deployed and every methodology considered in recovering these bodies in a safe way to bring closure to these families."

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