Deadliest Incidents In History

Benxihu Colliery Explosion — China

A coal-dust and gas explosion in a Japanese-operated mine in occupied China killed 1,549 workers — the worst mining disaster in history.

Benxihu mine disaster — China

Courrières mine disaster — France

The Courrières mine disaster, Europe's worst mining accident, caused the death of 1,099 miners in Northern France on 10 March 1906. This disaster was surpassed only by the Benxihu Colliery accident in China on 26 April 1942, which killed 1

Senghenydd Colliery Disaster — United Kingdom

The Senghenydd colliery disaster, also known as the Senghenydd explosion (Welsh: Tanchwa Senghennydd), occurred at the Universal Colliery in Senghenydd, near Caerphilly, Glamorgan, Wales, on 14 October 1913. The explosion, which killed 439

Coalbrook mining disaster — South Africa

The Coalbrook mining disaster was the worst mining accident in the history of South Africa. The disaster occurred in the Coalbrook coal mine of Clydesdale Colliery on 21 January 1960 at around 19:00 when approximately 900 pillars caved in,

Monongah Mining disaster — United States

The Monongah mining disaster was a coal mine explosion on December 6, 1907, at Fairmont Coal Company's Nos. 6 and 8 mines in Monongah, West Virginia, which killed 362 miners. It has been described as "the worst mining disaster in American h

Oaks explosion — United Kingdom

The Oaks explosion, which happened at a coal mine in South Yorkshire on 12 December 1866, remains the worst mining disaster in England. A series of explosions caused by firedamp ripped through the underground workings at the Oaks Colliery a

Pretoria Pit Disaster — United Kingdom

The Pretoria Pit disaster was a mining accident on 21 December 1910, when an underground explosion occurred at the Hulton Colliery Bank Pit No. 3, known as the Pretoria Pit, in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, then in the historic county of Lanca

Nambija mine disaster — Ecuador

The Nambija mine disaster was a landslide which occurred in a remote mining settlement in the southeastern part of Ecuador on 9 May 1993. A part of the mountain above the countless mines gave way and buried about 300 people. A definite numb

Gresford disaster — United Kingdom

The Gresford disaster (Welsh: Trychineb Gresffordd) occurred on 22 September 1934 at Gresford Colliery, near Wrexham, when an explosion and underground fire killed 261 men. Gresford is one of Britain's worst coal mining disasters: a controv

Marcinelle disaster — Belgium

The Marcinelle mining disaster (French: Catastrophe de Marcinelle, lit. 'the Marcinelle catastrophe') occurred at the Bois du Cazier coal mine at Marcinelle, Hainaut Province, in Belgium on 8 August 1956. One of the largest and most notorio

Darr Mine Disaster — United States

The Darr Mine disaster at Van Meter, Rostraver Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, near Smithton, killed 239 men and boys on December 19, 1907. It ranks as the worst coal mining disaster in Pennsylvanian history. Many victims were

Blantyre mining disaster — United Kingdom

The Blantyre mining disaster, which happened on the morning of 22 October 1877, in Blantyre, Scotland, was Scotland's worst ever mining accident. Pits No. 2 and No. 3 of William Dixon's Blantyre Colliery were the site of an explosion which

Hartley Colliery Disaster — United Kingdom

The Hartley Colliery disaster (also known as the Hartley Pit disaster or Hester Pit disaster) was a coal mining accident in Northumberland, England, that occurred on 16 January 1862 and resulted in the deaths of 204 men and children. The be

Mather Mine disaster — United States

The Mather Mine disaster refers to the events surrounding an explosion that occurred in the Mather Mine on May 19, 1928, at 4:07 PM in Mather, Pennsylvania. A report released by the United States Bureau of Mines states that a total of 195 m

Lundhill Colliery explosion — United Kingdom

The Lundhill Colliery explosion was a coal mining accident which took place on 19 February 1857 in Wombwell, Yorkshire, UK in which 189 men and boys aged between 10 and 59 died. It is one of the biggest industrial disasters in the country's

Arsia Disaster — Croatia

Chosei coal mine disaster — Japan

Kinross mining disaster — South Africa

The Kinross mine disaster (12 April 1985) resulted in the deaths of 177 miners and the injury of 235 others, making it one of the largest mining incidents in South Africa. The disaster occurred at the Kinross gold mine when welding set alig

Castle Gate Mine disaster — United States

The Castle Gate mine disaster occurred on March 8, 1924, in a coal mine near the town of Castle Gate, Utah (now dismantled), located approximately 90 miles (140 km) southeast of Salt Lake City. All of the 171 men working in the mine were

Speculator Mine disaster — United States

The Granite Mountain/Speculator Mine disaster of June 8, 1917, occurred as a result of a fire in a copper mine, and was the most deadly event in underground hard rock mining in United States history. Most men died of suffocation underground

Minnie Pit Disaster — United Kingdom

The Minnie Pit disaster was a coal mining accident that took place on 12 January 1918 in Halmer End, Staffordshire, in which 155 men and boys died. The disaster, which was caused by an explosion due to firedamp, is the worst ever recorded i

1887 Nanaimo mine explosion — Canada

The Nanaimo mine explosion occurred on May 3, 1887, in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, killing 150 miners. Only seven miners survived and the mine burned for one full day. The explosion started deep underground in the Number One Coal Mi

Aberfan disaster — United Kingdom

The Aberfan disaster (Welsh: Trychineb Aberfan) was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip on 21 October 1966. The tip had been created on a mountain slope above the Welsh village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil, and overlaid a n

Banner Mine disaster — United States

The Banner mine disaster of April 8, 1911 near Littleton, Alabama was a coal mine explosion that killed 128 people. The event ranks among the 15 deadliest coal mine disasters in U.S. history. The exact cause of the early-morning blast is u

Layland Mine Explosion — United States

Everettville Mine Disaster — United States

Ulyanovskaya Mine disaster — Russia

The Ulyanovskaya Mine disaster was caused by a methane explosion that occurred on March 19, 2007, in the Ulyanovskaya longwall coal mine in the Kemerovo Oblast. At least 108 people were reported to have been killed by the blast, which occur

Avondale Mine Disaster — United States

The Avondale Mine disaster was a massive fire at the Avondale Colliery near Plymouth Township, Pennsylvania, on September 6, 1869. It caused the death of 110 workers. It started when the wooden lining of the mine shaft caught fire and ignit