Disasters

Explosions, floods, collapses and other major incidents at UK mines — including significant post-closure incidents in abandoned workings. Each record is researched to the same standard as a mine or terminology entry, not just a casualty count.

The 100 disasters most recently added, of 972, newest first.

Disaster	Date	Type	Region	Fatalities
Washington Colliery overwinding accident, 1867 On the evening of 31 May 1867 the cage at Washington Colliery was wound up into the headgear, the rope broke, and eight men and two boys fell 250 yards to the bottom of the shaft.	31 May 1867	Winding / Shaft Accident	Tyne and Wear	10
Springwell Colliery shaft accident, 1834 On 4 October 1834 a heavy timber fell down the shaft at Springwell Colliery onto the cradle where two men were repairing it, carrying them thirty fathoms to the bottom.	4 October 1834	Winding / Shaft Accident	Tyne and Wear	2
Wearmouth Colliery shaft accident, 1837 On 18 April 1837 the winding rope at Monkwearmouth Colliery, Sunderland, broke near the top of the shaft and fell on five boys at the bottom, killing three of them.	18 April 1837	Winding / Shaft Accident	Tyne and Wear	3
Axwell Park Colliery explosion, 1896 On 10 February 1896 firedamp, never before seen at Axwell Park Colliery, was fired at a hewer's naked light in the Five Quarter seam, burning three men; the deputy and a hewer died.	10 February 1896	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	2
Crow Trees Colliery boiler explosion, 1850 On 18 December 1850 the middle boiler of Crow Trees Colliery's winding engine gave way during a repair, blowing one man who was working in it 150 yards and killing a second beside the boilers.	18 December 1850	Machinery	County Durham	2
Derwent Crook Colliery boiler explosion, 1841 On Saturday 29 May 1841 the boiler at Derwent Crook Colliery, Low Fell, burst while the men sat in the engine-house taking their allowance; its four-ton body flew clean over the engine-house, and the engineer and three workmen died.	29 May 1841	Machinery	Tyne and Wear	4
Blaydon Main Colliery boiler explosion, 1860 In March 1860 a boiler at the Shildon Pit of Blaydon Main Colliery burst at the change of shift, moments after the brakesman had found its valves in order, killing him, a fireman and two men buried under the rubble.	21 or 27 March 1860	Machinery	Tyne and Wear	4
Whitley Colliery shaft accident, 1835 At three in the morning of 1 May 1835 a man and five boys riding down the shaft at Whitley Colliery, near Tynemouth, fell 45 fathoms to the bottom when the winding chain's hook had not been properly set in the bow of their corf.	1 May 1835	Winding / Shaft Accident	Tyne and Wear	6
Delabole Slate Quarry fall, 1869 On the evening of 21 April 1869 the 250-foot face of the Landwork quarry at Delabole slate quarry, Cornwall, fell into the pit with the poppet head on top of it, killing fifteen or sixteen people, among them a grandfather and his two small grandsons.	21 April 1869	Collapse / Roof Fall	Cornwall	15
Aberaman Colliery explosion, 1855 On 20 April 1855 firedamp fired by naked lights in the pillar workings of Aberaman Colliery, Aberdare, killed five men and boys, one of them a sixteen-year-old haulier blown into the sump and drowned.	20 April 1855	Explosion	Rhondda Cynon Taf	5
Silverdale Colliery Sheriff Pit explosion, 1870 On the afternoon of 7 July 1870 firedamp exploded in the Eight Feet workings of the Sheriff Pit at Silverdale, North Staffordshire, killing nineteen men and boys; one man survived from the district.	7 July 1870	Explosion	Staffordshire	19
Isabella Pit explosion, Workington, 1833 In September 1833 an explosion of firedamp in the Isabella Pit of the Curwens' Workington Colliery killed thirteen people, among them three Brennan brothers and three boys of ten.	20 or 21 September 1833	Explosion	Cumbria	13
Gadlys Colliery explosion, 1848 On 24 April 1848 a localised explosion of gas at the Gadlys ironworks' colliery in Aberdare killed five men.	24 April 1848	Explosion	Rhondda Cynon Taf	5
Garscube Colliery accident, 1853 On 13 December 1853 five men working near the shaft bottom at Garscube Colliery, Glasgow, were killed, by an explosion of firedamp in one account and in another by smoke from an underground engine driven into the workings when the air reversed.	13 December 1853	Gas / Asphyxiation	North Lanarkshire	5
Haswell Colliery boiler explosion, 1865 On 1 May 1865 an underground boiler exploded at Haswell Colliery, East Durham, killing four men and boys by the Durham Mining Museum's names, three by the contemporary register, and severely injuring several others.	1 May 1865	Machinery	County Durham	4
Burradon Colliery boiler explosion, 1847 On 20 March 1847 a colliery boiler at Burradon, north of Newcastle, burst minutes after the stoker had been told to raise the fires, killing him, a miner's wife and a bank lad.	20 March 1847	Machinery	Northumberland	3
Coxhoe Colliery shaft accident, 1870 On 14 February 1870 four sinkers repairing the furnace shaft at Coxhoe Colliery, County Durham, were thrown to the bottom when a piece of iron knocked down the shaft broke two chains of the cradle they stood on.	14 February 1870	Winding / Shaft Accident	County Durham	4
Farnacres Colliery inundation, 1840 Shortly after midnight on 23 October 1840 water from forgotten old workings burst into the newly sunk Wheels Pit at Farnacres Colliery, in the Team valley near Gateshead, and filled the shaft, drowning all five men below.	23 October 1840	Flooding / Inundation	Tyne and Wear	5
St Lawrence Colliery explosion, 1834 On the night of 24 November 1834 an explosion of gas at St Lawrence Colliery, Newcastle, killed two masons and a shifter who were building brick stoppings by candlelight.	24 November 1834	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	3
Reservoir Colliery explosion, 1886 An explosion of gas at Reservoir Colliery, the Moira Colliery Company's pit at Overseal, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch, on 8 December 1886 burned two stallmen, William Hart and Thomas Patrick, who both died of their injuries eight days later.	8 December 1886	Explosion	Derbyshire	2
Pencaitland choke-damp deaths, 1865 On 30 August 1865 George Duncan, an engineman, went down a pit ladder near Pencaitland against orders and was overcome by choke damp from an old coal waste. Andrew Cairns, who saw him fall and went down to help, was suffocated beside him.	30 August 1865	Gas / Asphyxiation	East Lothian	2
Cannock Old Coppice Colliery cage accident, 1900 On 3 September 1900, as the day shift went down at the Old Coppice Colliery, Cheslyn Hay, the cage carrying eight men ran to the bottom of the shaft out of the winder's control. Three men were killed outright and a fourth, William Buck, died of his injuries later; the winder was charged with manslaughter and acquitted.	3 September 1900	Winding / Shaft Accident	Staffordshire	4
Enterkine Colliery explosion, 1930 Shortly after the day shift began on 11 December 1930, an explosion in the Ell coal section of No. 9 Pit at Enterkine Colliery, Annbank, burned six men. Andrew McNeillie, John Gourlay and James Reddick died in Ayr County Hospital over the next eight days.	11 December 1930	Explosion	South Ayrshire	3
Drumley Pit explosion, 1898 On the afternoon of 9 September 1898 an outburst of firedamp in the Diamond seam of the Drumley Pit, near Annbank in Ayrshire, was fired at the fireman's naked light. Of fourteen men and boys at the face, seven died, three in the pit and four of their burns in Ayr County Hospital; two of the dead were boys of twelve and thirteen.	9 September 1898	Explosion	South Ayrshire	7
Callendar Brickworks pit roof fall, 1915 On the afternoon of 23 June 1915 a heavy fall from the roof buried two men in the pit at the Callendar Brickworks, Glen Village, near Falkirk. James Fleming was dead when they were dug out, and Walter Wilson died of his injuries in Falkirk Infirmary ten days later.	23 June 1915	Collapse / Roof Fall	Falkirk	2
Ferniegair Colliery explosion, 1909 On Sunday 27 June 1909 an explosion of gas in the Virtuewell seam of Ferniegair Colliery, near Hamilton, killed the only three men working there, a crew running an electric coal-cutting machine. Their widows sued the owners, Archibald Russell Ltd, and lost.	27 June 1909	Explosion	South Lanarkshire	3
Thankerton Colliery hutch accident, 1905 On 16 August 1905 a hutch carrying a miner, John Brown, and a pony driver, Charles Murray, came off the rails on a road in No. 7 Pit at Thankerton Colliery, near Holytown, knocked out the timbering and brought the roof down on them both.	16 August 1905	Collapse / Roof Fall	North Lanarkshire	2
Tillicoultry Colliery roof fall, 1862 Early in March 1862 a mass of rock weighing about two tons fell from the roof of the west pit at Devonside, near Tillicoultry, on two colliers clearing debris there. William Allan and John Cook, both of Coalsnaughton, were killed; men working close by narrowly escaped.	7 March 1862	Collapse / Roof Fall	Clackmannanshire	2
Woodmuir chokedamp deaths, 1859 On 18 May 1859 two colliers clearing out an old pit at Woodmuir, near Breich in West Lothian, were overcome by chokedamp and suffocated. Thomas Greenwood and William Thornton died at a working of Thomas Thornton's, decades before the Woodmuir colliery of 1896 was sunk.	18 May 1859	Gas / Asphyxiation	West Lothian	2
Little Raith Colliery rope failure, 1897 On the morning of 22 January 1897 the steel winding rope at the Dora Pit, Little Raith Colliery, snapped as two men were lowered to clear machinery from abandoned lower workings. James Graham and Hugh Thomson fell with the cage to the bottom of the 100-fathom shaft and were killed.	22 January 1897	Winding / Shaft Accident	Fife	2
Little Raith Colliery overwinding, 1883 On 15 August 1883, as the men of Little Raith Colliery near Cowdenbeath were being drawn up at the end of the shift, the cage at the Dora Pit was wound past the landing and over the pulley wheels. Of the seven aboard, four died, among them Thomas Adams and his son James; the engineman was arrested.	15 August 1883	Winding / Shaft Accident	Fife	4
Gilmerton Colliery chokedamp deaths, 1890 At eleven in the morning of 22 November 1890 two sinkers at the Gilmerton Gas Coal Company's colliery, on the south-eastern edge of Edinburgh, were suffocated by chokedamp. John King, 46, and Thomas Sharpe, 39, died together.	22 November 1890	Gas / Asphyxiation	Midlothian	2
Arniston Colliery roof fall, 1858 On 2 December 1858 two colliers, John Clark and Alexander Hood, were killed by a fall of roof at the face of the workings at Arniston Colliery, near Gorebridge in Midlothian, then owned by John Christie.	2 December 1858	Collapse / Roof Fall	Midlothian	2
Midgeholme Colliery explosion, 1870 On 6 June 1870 an explosion of gas at Midgeholme Colliery, near Milton, killed two hewers, George Jackson, 38, and Robert Jackson, 36.	6 June 1870	Explosion	Cumbria	2
Spital Tongues Colliery boiler explosion, 1852 On 4 June 1852 a boiler burst at Spital Tongues Colliery, Newcastle, killing the engineman, John Campbell Burrell, and the fireman, Edward Moody, and throwing fragments that seriously injured two women.	4 June 1852	Machinery	Tyne and Wear	2
Dunston Colliery explosion, 1893 Late on 24 May 1893 a gunpowder shot fired in the Brockwell seam at Dunston Colliery, near Gateshead, set off a small explosion of firedamp. The putter George Fulthorpe and the foreman stoneman Robert Lowens were overcome by afterdamp as they ran for the shaft; two others escaped, one badly burnt.	24 May 1893	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	2
Newton Cap Colliery roof fall, 1897 On 1 March 1897 a baulk broke while men were timbering a new pony-pump house underground at Newton Cap Colliery and some twenty tons of stone fell, killing the under-manager, George Brown, and a stoneman, John George Nichol.	1 March 1897	Collapse / Roof Fall	County Durham	2
Byers Green Colliery shaft accident, 1873 On 30 January 1873 a hinged sinking cradle collapsed in a new shaft at Byers Green Colliery, throwing six sinkers eighteen fathoms into the water below. Two of them, Donald McPherson and John Pirt, died; two side chains had never been attached.	30 January 1873	Winding / Shaft Accident	County Durham	2
Byers Green Colliery roof fall, 1867 On 5 April 1867 two deputies at Bolckow, Vaughan and Co.'s Byers Green Colliery, near Bishop Auckland, were replacing timber at the top of an inclined plane when stone fell from the roof and killed them both: Charles Naisbett, 50, and William Turnbull, 24.	5 April 1867	Collapse / Roof Fall	County Durham	2
Croxdale Colliery roof fall, 1893 Early on 19 August 1893 a stone fell at Croxdale Colliery, south of Durham, killing two young hewers, James Hunter and Charles Robinson, who had taken out the timber holding it up after being told to leave it in place.	19 August 1893	Collapse / Roof Fall	County Durham	2
Laffack Colliery explosion, 1857 Early on 20 May 1857 Henry Winlow, the fireman at Laffack Colliery, St Helens, went to check that a stopping holding back gas in a tunnel in the Rushy Park Mine was tight. The gas exploded at his lamp, killing him and John Heaton. The inspector said the tunnel should have been ventilated, not stopped.	20 May 1857	Explosion	Merseyside	2
Laffack Colliery overwinding, 1856 On 26 July 1856 the winding engine at Laffack Colliery, Parr, ran out of control when its hand gear failed, and with no brake fitted the engineman could not stop it. John Sefton was drawn over the pulley at the top of the headstocks and Joseph Salton jumped out and fell down the pit.	26 July 1856	Winding / Shaft Accident	Merseyside	2
Laffack Colliery explosion, 1854 On 18 January 1854 an explosion of firedamp at the edge of the goaf at Laffack Colliery, St Helens, burned three men fatally, among them a boy, James Marsh. The inspector traced the ignition to an opened lamp and found discipline over lamps lax at the colliery.	18 January 1854	Explosion	Merseyside	3
Laffack Colliery explosion, 1849 On 23 June 1849 an explosion in a slant at J. T. Johnson's Laffack Colliery, St Helens, where sixty or seventy men were at work, killed eight and injured nineteen or more. It was blamed on one collier's long-practised refusal to use a safety lamp; the blast blew the planking off the pit top and killed the banksman.	23 June 1849	Explosion	Merseyside	7
Moorsley Colliery explosion, 1833 In November 1833 an explosion of fire-damp at the Low Moorsley pit, near Houghton-le-Spring, burnt the viewer, the overman and four men; six lives were lost.	22 or 23 November 1833	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	6
Shipley Colliery explosion, 1857 On 4 March 1857 gas burst from the roof at A. M. Mundy's Shipley Colliery and fired at a candle on the floor, burning six who escaped. Two minutes later, men waiting in the gate-road for a missing boy struck a match against a warning and a second explosion killed eight, among them three Starbucks.	4 March 1857	Explosion	Derbyshire	8
Westleigh Colliery cage accident, 1896 A few minutes before six on 20 February 1896 the engineman at Westleigh Colliery, Leigh, started the engine the wrong way with eight men in the cage. The cage was drawn into the headgear, released by its safety hook, and fell 370 yards when the catches failed to hold it. All eight died.	20 February 1896	Winding / Shaft Accident	Greater Manchester	8
Kirkless Hall Colliery explosion, 1847 About one o'clock on 28 June 1847, at the Higher Patricroft or Kirkless Hall Colliery on the canal between Ince and Aspull, a fire started by a miner's shot in the coal led to an explosion of firedamp. Thirteen died and about thirty were injured.	28 June 1847	Explosion	Greater Manchester	13
Victoria Colliery 'Deep Drop' explosion, 1879 Soon after ten on the night of 4 March 1879 firedamp exploded in the west bord of the Silkstone or 'Deep Drop' pit, 475 yards deep, at Robert Hudson and Co.'s Victoria Colliery, Stanley, near Wakefield. Twenty-one died; the jury found the gas fired at a naked light.	4 March 1879	Explosion	West Yorkshire	21
Sutton Colliery explosion, 1957 At about 11.30 on 21 February 1957 a stone fell from a gas-filled cavity over the loader gate of the new 28's face in the Low Main at Sutton Colliery, Sutton-in-Ashfield, and smashed a conveyor motor's terminal box. The flash fired the firedamp; twenty-five men were burned and five died.	21 February 1957	Explosion	Nottinghamshire	5
Bycars Colliery explosion, 1859 On Saturday 29 January 1859 gas that had gathered in old workings at J. Wedgwood's Bycars Colliery, Burslem, fired at the men's defective lamps as they sat at their dinner by a stopping they were building. Six died; the jury censured the butty, Francis Amos, for not seeing that the lamps were locked.	29 January 1859	Explosion	Staffordshire	6
Newmarket Colliery explosion, 1854 On 11 November 1854 an unusual outburst of gas from the strata of the Lofthouse bed rose up the 'wide bank' of the Farm Pit at Messrs Charlesworth's Newmarket Colliery, near Wakefield, and fired at the men's naked candles. Six were killed; the inspector found the district getting little more than half the air the manager supposed.	11 November 1854	Explosion	West Yorkshire	6
Gerard's Bridge Colliery explosion, 1847 At seven on the morning of Wednesday 2 June 1847 an explosion at Gerard's Bridge Colliery, St Helens, suffocated eight men and boys working 1,000 yards from the shaft, among them John Matthew and four of his sons. The men had safety lamps but used candles, and the coal took fire.	2 June 1847	Explosion	Merseyside	8
Douglas Bank Colliery sinking accident, 1888 On 6 April 1888, while the shafts of Douglas Bank Colliery near Wigan were being deepened, the hoppet carrying the contractor and two sinkers swayed, struck the side and overturned. The three fell some 200 yards and killed two men at the bottom: five died.	6 April 1888	Winding / Shaft Accident	Greater Manchester	5
Douglas Bank Colliery shaft collapse, 1865 On 4 January 1865, as the sinkers at the bottom of John G. Morris's new shaft at Douglas Bank, near Wigan, began another length at about 500 yards, some 200 yards of the shaft lining gave way and fell on them. All five were killed.	4 January 1865	Winding / Shaft Accident	Greater Manchester	5
Heworth Colliery explosion, 1826 At about six on the morning of 5 September 1826 firedamp exploded at open lights in the Hutton seam of Heworth Colliery, near Gateshead, with about sixty men below. Three men and two boys died, among them the master wasteman John Scott and a seven-year-old, John Tulip; ten more were burned or bruised.	5 September 1826	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	5
Middle Patricroft Pit explosion, 1849 Soon after six on the morning of 6 March 1849 an explosion in the Five Foot seam of the Ince Hall Coal and Cannel Company's Middle Patricroft Pit, between Wigan and Hindley, killed twelve of the twenty-six below, among them a father and his three sons.	6 March 1849	Explosion	—	12
Lakes Pit explosion, Dukinfield, 1848 Shortly after the midday meal on 23 February 1848 gas fired in the Victoria Pit at Dukinfield, the deepest in the district, where Swire and Lees' men were cutting through into old workings. Seven died; the owners had long tried, and failed, to stop the men using candles.	23 February 1848	Explosion	Greater Manchester	7
Ince Hall Deep Pit explosion, 1851 About six on the morning of Monday 22 December 1851, half an hour after more than a hundred men and boys had gone down A. F. Haliburton's Deep Pit at Ince Hall, near Hindley station, firedamp exploded in the south-west workings. Thirteen were killed, six of them boys of fifteen or younger.	22 December 1851	Explosion	—	13
Seaton Colliery explosion, 1852 On 16 June 1852 firedamp exploded at naked lights in Seaton Colliery, near Seaham Harbour, the third explosion there that year and the first to kill. All six working at the place died, the youngest a boy of ten.	16 June 1852	Explosion	—	6
Haydock Colliery explosion, 1845 On 5 November 1845, just after the night shift had come up and nineteen day men had gone down, an explosion at Turner and Evans's colliery at Haydock blew the planks off the shaft, killing thirteen and injuring six. The youngest dead was eight years old.	5 November 1845	Explosion	Lancashire	13
Cwmllynfell Colliery explosion, 1825 In 1825 an explosion at the Cwmllynfell anthracite mines in the upper Swansea Valley, opened five years earlier by Reynolds and Aubrey, killed 59 men. A plaque at the national mining memorial garden in Senghenydd records it.	1825	Explosion	Neath Port Talbot	59
Kells Pit explosion, 1819 On Saturday 30 October 1819 an explosion of firedamp tore through the Earl of Lonsdale's Kells Pit at Whitehaven, killing twenty of the twenty-two colliers at work. Patrick McAvoy and his son were brought out alive after thirty-six hours, but the father died a week later, making 21 dead.	30 October 1819	Explosion	Cumbria	21
Croft Pit explosion, 1847 About five o'clock on Friday 28 May 1847 gas fired at the far end of the Main Band in Croft Pit, Whitehaven, nearly two miles from the shaft, killing the four coal-haggers who had just gone in for the night shift with their lamps uncovered.	28 May 1847	Explosion	Cumbria	4
Willington Colliery Bensham seam explosion, 1831 On 20 September 1831 gas from a large blower in the newly opened Bensham seam at Willington Colliery, on Tyneside, forced its way through the water left to drown it, rose into the High Main and fired at the men's candles. Eight were killed, four men and four boys.	20 September 1831	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	8
Bigge Pit explosion, 1829 In December 1829 an explosion at Willington Colliery, North Tyneside, accompanied by a rush of water from old workings, killed four men.	December 1829	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	4
Mesne Lea Colliery explosion, 1867 At 6.30 a.m. on 30 May 1867 gas that had gathered overnight in the Rams Seven Feet mine at Peter Nightingale and Co.'s Mesne Lea Colliery, Worsley, fired when a man went in with a naked light ahead of the fireman's morning examination. Seven were killed.	30 May 1867	Explosion	Greater Manchester	7
California Pit shaft accident, 1865 On 12 September 1865, as eight men and boys rode up the California Pit of the Kirkless Hall Coal and Iron Company at Aspull, near Wigan, the wire rope slipped off the drum onto the engine shaft and was cut. Within thirty yards of the top, they fell 270 yards to their deaths.	12 September 1865	Winding / Shaft Accident	Greater Manchester	8
New Cottam Colliery shaft accident, 1853 At about seven in the morning of 21 January 1853, as men were lowered down Appleby and Co.'s New Cottam Colliery near Chesterfield, a newly fitted iron link in the chain at the rope's end snapped and they fell to the bottom. Seven died. The link had been put in the evening before and never properly tested.	21 January 1853	Winding / Shaft Accident	Derbyshire	7
Springwell Pit shaft accident, Dawley, 1872 At 4.30 p.m. on 6 December 1872, as the first men of the shift were drawn up the Springwell Pit of the Coalbrookdale Company at Dawley, the winding chain broke at the pulley and eight young men fell to the bottom. A broken link had been found and riveted two days before, but the chain was never properly examined.	6 December 1872	Winding / Shaft Accident	Shropshire	8
Kersley Colliery explosion, 1879 On Christmas Eve 1879 an outburst of gas after a fall of roof fired at the naked lights in the Plodder mine of Samuel Scowcroft and Sons' colliery at Kersley, near Bolton. Eleven men and boys died, several of them of burns over the following days.	24 December 1879	Explosion	Greater Manchester	11
Lillydale Colliery inrush and explosion, 1881 At about 10.45 a.m. on 3 May 1881 men driving headings towards flooded old workings at Enoch Perrins's Lillydale Colliery, near Hanley, tapped the water; it drove gas from the goaf onto naked lights and the gas exploded, killing nine. The jury found the manager guilty of manslaughter.	3 May 1881	Explosion	Staffordshire	9
Dark Lane Colliery shaft accident, 1862 On 29 December 1862 the coupling box at the end of the winding rope broke at the Lilleshall Company's Dark Lane Colliery, in the Shropshire coalfield, and the box carrying twelve men and boys fell 290 feet to the bottom of the shaft. All twelve were killed.	29 December 1862	Winding / Shaft Accident	Shropshire	12
Victoria Colliery explosion, Bruntcliffe, 1882 Shortly before midnight on 1 May 1882 gas exploded in Stringer's Bord in the Middleton Main pit of J. Haigh and Sons' Victoria Colliery, Bruntcliffe, killing the deputy, five colliers and a boy. A second explosion at about 2 a.m. nearly caught the exploring party as they prepared to bring out the bodies.	1 May 1882	Explosion	West Yorkshire	7
Westwood Colliery explosion, 1862 At about 8 a.m. on 10 April 1862 gas driven from a large goaf by a fall of roof fired at a naked light at the far end of the south workings of Newton, Chambers and Co.'s Westwood Colliery, near Sheffield, killing six of about 200 below. The mine was fiery, yet the colliers were allowed candles.	10 April 1862	Explosion	South Yorkshire	6
Lakes Pit explosion, Dukinfield, 1866 At about 8 a.m. one June morning an explosion of firedamp in the Black Mine at F. D. P. Astley's Lakes Pit, or Victoria Colliery, Dukinfield, killed 38 of the seventy-odd men and boys below. The pit was worked with safety lamps, but the boys carried naked lights against the colliery's rules.	June 1866	Explosion	Greater Manchester	38
Burgh Colliery explosion, 1846 On 24 November 1846 two explosions of firedamp, fired by a collier's candle, swept John Hargreaves's Burgh Colliery at Coppull, near Chorley. Eight or nine died, three of them girls working underground four years after the law had barred them.	24 November 1846	Explosion	Lancashire	8
Shevington Colliery explosion, 1861 On 1 November 1861 a labourer who had kept his lamp key from his days as a fireman unlocked a lamp to relight another man's, and fired gas at the Prince Albert Pit of John Taylor and Son's Shevington Colliery, near Wigan, killing thirteen. The inspector blamed defective ventilation and lax discipline.	1 November 1861	Explosion	Greater Manchester	13
Winstanley Colliery explosion, 1860 In early August 1860 firedamp released by roof falls in pillar workings exploded in the Orrell Five Feet seam at Meyrick Bankes's Winstanley Colliery, near Wigan, killing thirteen men and boys. The inspector had condemned the ventilation as primitive, and the improvements he had asked for were unfinished.	August 1860	Explosion	Greater Manchester	13
Winstanley Colliery explosion, 1843 On Monday 20 November 1843 Winstanley Colliery, near Wigan, exploded as work resumed after the pit had stood over the weekend, killing five and injuring others.	20 November 1843	Explosion	Greater Manchester	5
Higham Colliery explosion, 1860 On the afternoon of 15 February 1860 gas from the goaves fired at a boy's candle at the northern limit of Messrs Charlesworth's Higham Colliery, near Barnsley, killing thirteen men and lads. The colliers had locked Davy lamps, but the horse drivers were allowed candles within yards of the goaves.	15 February 1860	Explosion	South Yorkshire	13
Great Bridge Colliery explosion, 1849 In June 1849, when about seventy men and boys went down Mr Morris's Friary Field pit at Great Bridge after it had stood idle since the Saturday, an explosion killed fourteen. The doggy, Thomas Pritchard, was said to have caused it by unscrewing his lamp; he was among the dead.	June 1849	Explosion	West Midlands	14
Rounds Green New Pit explosion, 1846 On the morning of Tuesday 17 November 1846, shortly after twenty-five men had gone down, firedamp exploded at the naked lights in the Rounds Green New Pit at Oldbury, killing nineteen. Men still being lowered were blown up the shaft and two fell to their deaths.	17 November 1846	Explosion	West Midlands	19
Bent Grange Colliery explosion, 1853 On 1 July 1853 firedamp exploded in the west level of Thomas Butterworth's Bent Grange Colliery, Oldham, killing twenty men and boys, thirteen suffocated and seven burnt. The inspector had already told the owner the ventilation was defective, and it was the pit's second disaster in three years.	1 July 1853	Explosion	Greater Manchester	20
Bent Grange Colliery explosion, 1850 In October 1850 a fall of roof broke the gauze of a Davy lamp in the Riley Mine at Mr Butterworth's Bent Grange Colliery, Oldham, and the gas exploded, killing sixteen of about twenty-five colliers at work. The colliery had a single bratticed shaft.	October 1850	Explosion	Greater Manchester	16
Bryn Hall Colliery explosion, 1870 At about 9 a.m. on 19 August 1870 a blown-out shot fired gas in the Nine Feet workings of W. and J. B. Crippin's Bryn Hall Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, killing 20. The fireman had let the men drill, charge and fire their own shots.	19 August 1870	Explosion	Greater Manchester	20
Bryn Hall Colliery explosion, 1873 At 12.20 a.m. on 2 June 1873, while shotlighters fired the night's shots in the Wigan Nine Feet mine at the Crippins' Bryn Hall Colliery, Ashton-in-Makerfield, gas exploded twice, wrecking both headgears and killing six of the nine men and boys below. Because the inspector had ordered shots fired at night, the day shift of 250 was out of the pit.	2 June 1873	Explosion	Greater Manchester	6
High Brooks Colliery explosion, 1869 At about seven in the morning of 1 April 1869, a making-up day with the whole workforce below, a blown-out shot fired gas in the Orrell Four Feet mine at Mercer and Evans's High Brooks Colliery, Park Lane, killing 37. It was the pit's second disaster in three years.	1 April 1869	Explosion	Greater Manchester	37
High Brooks Colliery explosion, 1866 Early on 23 January 1866 firedamp exploded in the Four Foot seam at Turner and Evans's High Brooks Colliery, Park Lane, Ashton-in-Makerfield, killing thirty men and boys. The fireman had just finished his rounds and found everything 'clear as a bell'.	23 January 1866	Explosion	Greater Manchester	30
Coppull Colliery explosion, 1852 A little before 7 a.m. on 20 May 1852 John Hargreaves' Coppull Colliery fired after men went into workings where a roof fall had cut off the air, killing 36. The pit had almost no ventilating power, and the colliers, who had to buy their own safety lamps, often worked with candles.	20 May 1852	Explosion	Lancashire	36
Bardsley Colliery explosion, 1858 On 2 February 1858 firedamp exploded through both working seams of the Victoria and Diamond pits at the Bardsley Colliery Company's colliery near Ashton-under-Lyne, killing 53. The inspector, Joseph Dickinson, had warned in writing of the exact faults that caused it, and there was no viewer.	2 February 1858	Explosion	Greater Manchester	53
Heys Colliery explosion, 1857 At 1.25 p.m. on 31 July 1857, at the end of the dinner hour, flames burst from the flues of the underground boilers at John Kenworthy and Brother's Heys Colliery, Ashton-under-Lyne, and an explosion followed that killed everyone on the brow, forty men and boys.	31 July 1857	Explosion	Greater Manchester	40
Heys Colliery explosion, 1851 On 17 March 1851 an explosion of firedamp at John Kenworthy and Brothers' Heys Colliery, Ashton-under-Lyne, killed one man outright and injured eight, five of whom died. Six years later the same colliery lost forty men in a single explosion.	17 March 1851	Explosion	Greater Manchester	6
Black Mine Pit explosion, 1842 At about eleven o'clock on 8 April 1842 an explosion in Swyre and Lees' Black Mine pit at Flowery Field, Newton, near Hyde, killed 17 of the 26 below. Ten were found at the far end of the mine, where they had run for safety.	8 April 1842	Explosion	Greater Manchester	17
Bigge Pit explosion, 1841 In the early afternoon of 19 April 1841 an explosion in the Bensham seam of the Bigge Pit at Matthew Bell and partners' Willington Colliery, between Newcastle and North Shields, killed 32 of the 35 below. The three survivors were working in a stone drift elsewhere in the mine.	19 April 1841	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	32
Croft Pit explosion, 1831 At about three o'clock on the morning of Saturday 12 November 1831 firedamp exploded in the Croft Pit at Whitehaven, killing 22 men and boys outright; another brought up alive died soon after. No one in the district where it began survived to say how it happened.	12 November 1831	Explosion	Cumbria	22
Croft Pit explosion, 1828 On the evening of Wednesday 6 August 1828 a sudden discharge of firedamp in the Earl of Lonsdale's Croft Pit at Whitehaven spread into distant workings and was fired by the miners there. Six men died; others were burnt.	6 August 1828	Explosion	Cumbria	6
Washington Colliery I Pit explosion, 1828 At about 3 p.m. on 20 November 1828 an explosion in the I or Eye Pit of Washington Colliery killed all but one of the fifteen in the pit, eleven of them boys. The onsetter, Michael Hall, survived badly burnt. The pit had been examined that morning and judged perfectly ventilated.	20 November 1828	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	14
Lumley George Pit explosion, 1819 On 9 October 1819 gas fired at the candle of a hewer named Gee in the George Pit at Lumley, near Chester-le-Street. Eleven men and boys were killed outright, and Gee and a boy died the next day, making thirteen; many others were badly hurt.	9 October 1819	Explosion	County Durham	13
Lumley George Pit explosion, 1824 On 25 October 1824 an explosion in the George Pit at Lumley, near Chester-le-Street, killed fourteen, five years after an explosion in the same pit had killed thirteen. In the words of Richardson's Table Book, 'fourteen human beings were launched into eternity'; their names were not recorded.	25 October 1824	Explosion	County Durham	14