Learn from 7 Worksite Tragedies in the Mining Industry

Written by Staff Writer | Edited by Michael Purser

Working underground has never been easy. Yet the job has grown safer over the years. Though tragedies still occur, large-scale catastrophes are far less frequent today. When worst-case scenarios unfold, modern protocols and advanced practices reduce the impact.

It’s often said that rules are written in blood. This holds especially true here.

We’ll explore some of the deadliest underground catastrophes since the early 1900s, examine their causes and highlight today’s safety programs designed to keep people protected.

Historic Underground Industry Catastrophes

The U.S. Department of Labor defines a “mine disaster” as an incident causing five or more fatalities. Such events were far more common a century ago. Enhanced protocols and safer methods have steadily eliminated many risks tied to underground extraction.

Coal facilities, in particular, have been hotspots for these tragedies and remain the most frequent sites of large-scale incidents. For example, 1907 alone saw 18 coal mine disasters, with one accident claiming the lives of 362 victims.

The Monogah incident — still the deadliest in U.S. history — led Congress to create the Bureau of Mines. In contrast, there have only been 18 coal mining accidents since 1976 — a period of 50 years instead of 12 months. That’s not a coincidence.

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Act (MSHA) of 1977 has been pivotal in improving safety and reducing accidents in the United States.

Mine Disasters Fast Facts

To get some perspective, let's look at this list of fatal mining accidents of the 20th and 21st centuries in chronological order:

1. Courrières Disaster – Courrières, France (1906)

This incident is considered the second-deadliest coal mine disaster of the modern era and the worst in European history. It killed 1,099 miners.

Two potential factors are thought to have caused the accident. Either an explosives handling accident or the open flame of a miner’s lamp igniting methane may have sparked the blast.

Enclosed lamps without open combustion had been available for nearly 100 years, but the mining company only gave the workers open lamps. Using cheap, subpar equipment may have led to the loss of more than 1,000 lives.

2. Benxihu/Honkeiko Colliery Explosion – Liaoning Province, China (1942)

Considered the deadliest documented coal mine disaster in history, this tragedy claimed the lives of more than 1,549 miners.

First operated by the Chinese government, this operation was taken over by the Japanese military and staffed by forced labor during the Second Sino-Japanese War until the end of World War II.

Gas and coal dust exploded on April 26, 1942, causing flames to shoot out of the entrance. Authorities chose to seal the pit head to cut off oxygen and stop the fire — even though the shaft was still occupied. Over 1,500 miners were trapped inside and died.

Later investigation showed that almost all victims died of smoke inhalation, not fire. Had they not been shut inside, many likely would have survived. Proper evacuation protocols are crucial for preventing casualties during an emergency.

3. Buffalo Creek Flood – Buffalo Creek Hollow, West Virginia (1972)

Unlike some of the other examples here, this event extended beyond the mine site to encompass the local community and surrounding area. 130 million gallons of floodwater and associated debris killed 125 individuals, injured more than 1,100 more and destroyed over 500 structures.

This event was caused by poorly constructed wastewater holding dams on Buffalo Creek. In 1970, authorities recommended the building of a spillway to prevent dam collapse, but they were ignored by site managers.

Three dams collapsed, one into the other, causing a wall of water more than 30 feet high to hit more than a dozen towns. Immediately addressing hazards and implementing effective engineering controls for waste impoundment would have prevented tragedy.

4. Dutch Creek No. 1 Explosion – Redstone, Colorado (1981)

When methane and coal dust exploded in the Dutch Creek No. 1, it killed 15 workers. Because of modern reporting regulations and safety technologies, the causes of this explosion are better understood than in many older disasters.

Investigators determined that an explosive atmosphere accumulated around mining equipment and leaked into an improperly maintained explosion-proof compartment. Noncompliant wiring of a light switch provided the spark that ignited the explosion.

Frequent inspections and effective explosion protections would have prevented and contained the blast, respectively. One failure led to another, which resulted in a mass casualty incident.

5. Wilberg Mine Fire – Emery County, Utah (1984)

This was the deadliest coal mine fire in Utah history and the worst that the country had seen in more than a dozen years. It claimed the lives of 27 miners.

A fire broke out on the 19th of December, quickly traveling 2,400 feet and trapping miners inside. Despite filling all three entrances with sand and concrete, the flames raged for more than a year.

Later investigation determined that the Wilberg Mine operated with an outdated firefighting and evacuation plan, with no fire-suppression devices and a compressor that was known to be faulty.

6. Sago Collapse – Tallmansville, West Virginia (2006)

Appalachia has a long history with the mining industry, including the infamous Battle of Blair Mountain. Almost a century later, the Sago disaster was one of three major 2006 accidents. It was the most widely publicized of the three.

When methane exploded in a worked-out area on January 2, it broke foam concrete block walls and shot dust and debris toward the entrance. The explosion immediately killed one miner. The other 12 miners put on their one-hour self-contained breathing apparatus and tried to escape, but turned back when they encountered smoke and debris.

When rescuers got to the trapped miners 41 hours later, all but one had succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The site, and its owners, had been plagued by growing list of significant and repeated safety violations. A failure to abate serious deficiencies culminated in tragedy.

The Sago disaster, along with others that year, caused Congress to implement the MINER Act, which improved safety, health, preparedness and emergency response in U.S. mines.

7. Crandall Canyon Collapses – Huntington, Utah (2007)

On August 6, 2007, a coal outburst killed six miners in Crandall Canyon. During rescue efforts on August 16, another outburst occurred. It killed two more miners as well as an MSHA inspector.

A later MSHA report found design flaws from the mine’s inception. In a rare twist, MSHA itself faced criticism from the Department of Labor for weak enforcement and flawed rescue efforts. Stronger adherence to best practices — from site supervisors to federal agencies — might have prevented Crandall Canyon’s tragic outcome.

Takeaways for Today’s Miner

Safety is never a given. The drop in fatal incidents stems from decades of relentless efforts by engineers, innovators, regulators, labor advocates, educators and more.

Some advances are top-down, such as new MSHA policies and advanced protective equipment (PPE). But safety also begins on the ground, through continuous education.

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