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 1512, newest first.

Disaster	Date	Type	Region	Fatalities
Boldon Colliery overwind, 1906 An overwind at the Harton Coal Company's Boldon Colliery, County Durham, on 24 June 1906 killed two shaftmen and a boiler fireman.	24 June 1906	Winding / Shaft Accident	Tyne and Wear	3
Clough Hall Colliery roof fall, 1901 A great fall from an unsecured cavity above the main haulage crut of No. 18 Pit, Clough Hall Colliery, Kidsgrove, on 12 September 1901 buried the shifters finishing its repair, killing four and injuring the under-manager and an overman.	12 September 1901	Collapse / Roof Fall	Staffordshire	4
Bebside Colliery roof fall, 1905 Two deputies and a fitter watching the first trial run on a newly extended rope haulage in the Bensham seam at Bebside Colliery, Northumberland, on 15 July 1905 were killed when a snagged tail rope tore out a sheave frame, drew the props and brought down the roof.	15 July 1905	Collapse / Roof Fall	Northumberland	3
Aldwarke Main Colliery inrush, 1933 Water bursting through from old workings at John Brown and Company's Aldwarke Main Colliery, Rawmarsh, near Rotherham, on 10 March 1933 overwhelmed and drowned two miners.	10 March 1933	Flooding / Inundation	South Yorkshire	2
Algernon Pit roof fall, 1901 A fall of stone in a gateway at the Algernon Pit of the Backworth Collieries, Northumberland, in 1901 killed a shifter and a stoneman who were preparing to timber the face, in a roof full of slips that the chargeman had already examined.	1901	Collapse / Roof Fall	Tyne and Wear	2
Low Hall Colliery shaft accident, 1914 Three young men riding up the No. 5 shaft at Low Hall Colliery, near Wigan, on 16 February 1914 were killed when a tub fell down the shaft onto their cage.	16 February 1914	Winding / Shaft Accident	Greater Manchester	3
Low Hall Colliery cage collision, 1903 The manager and undermanager of the Moss Hall Coal Company's Low Hall Colliery were killed on 8 April 1903 when the cage they were riding down No. 7 shaft struck timber left projecting from the ascending cage and they fell to the pit bottom.	8 April 1903	Winding / Shaft Accident	Greater Manchester	2
Cinder Hill Colliery arching fall, 1858 Two masons at Thomas North's Cinder Hill Colliery, Nottingham, were killed on 6 August 1858 when they took the centering from under newly built arching without authority and it fell on them.	6 August 1858	Collapse / Roof Fall	Nottinghamshire	2
Low Hall Colliery explosion, 1859 Two men repairing a pump on an engine plane in the Pemberton Five Feet mine at the Moss Hall Coal Company's Low Hall Colliery, near Wigan, on 19 January 1859 fired gas with their naked lights, weeks after the inspector had warned in writing that the ventilation was inadequate.	19 January 1859	Explosion	Greater Manchester	2
Yniscedwyn Colliery roof fall, 1931 Two men ripping the roof at Amalgamated Anthracite's Yniscedwyn Colliery, Ystradgynlais, in May 1931 were buried when it collapsed; they were missed at the end of the afternoon shift and found by the night shift.	May 1931	Collapse / Roof Fall	Powys	2
Ammanford Colliery explosion, 1935 Two repairers boring in the stone of a cross-measure heading at Ammanford Colliery on 18 September 1935 were killed by an unexplained explosion and found dead by the fireman.	18 September 1935	Explosion	Carmarthenshire	2
Penllwyngwent Colliery roof fall, 1933 Three men moving a heavy stone into the gob at Penllwyngwent Colliery, Ogmore Vale, in June 1933 knocked out a post, and a stone of about two tons fell from the roof, killing two of them.	June 1933	Collapse / Roof Fall	Bridgend	2
Tirbach Colliery explosion, 1932 A shot fired at Henderson's Welsh Anthracite Collieries' Tirbach Colliery, Ystalyfera, on 30 September 1932 ignited gas and burned three men, who died over the next three days.	30 September 1932	Explosion	Neath Port Talbot	3
Great Mountain Colliery gas accident, 1925 A fireman at Great Mountain Colliery, Tumble, was overcome by gas on 27 April 1925, and a second fireman who went in to rescue him was suffocated too.	27 April 1925	Gas / Asphyxiation	Carmarthenshire	2
Ponthenry Colliery runaway tram, 1911 A tram that broke away from a descending journey on the steep slant at Ponthenry Colliery, in the Gwendraeth Valley, in 1911 ran wild into men waiting to be drawn up, killing two and injuring several more.	6 June 1911	Haulage / Transport	Carmarthenshire	2
Vivian Colliery roof fall, 1906 The roof of the Elled seam engine plane at Powell's Tillery Steam Coal Company's Vivian Pit, Abertillery, fell on a night overman and a repairer on 1 August 1906 as they stood discussing what to do about some low timbers.	1 August 1906	Collapse / Roof Fall	Blaenau Gwent	2
Gelli Colliery roof fall, 1905 A slab of rock fell on a road at Cory Brothers' Gelli Colliery in March 1905 as a repairer and his labourer were barring down loose stone after a small fall; one died at once and the other two months later.	March 1905	Collapse / Roof Fall	Rhondda Cynon Taf	2
Castle Pit roof fall, 1904 A fall of rock on an old parting at Crawshay Brothers' Castle Pit, Troedyrhiw, in November 1904 buried a repairer and a fireman who had just made the place safe after taking out a cracked pair of timbers.	17 November 1904	Collapse / Roof Fall	Merthyr Tydfil	2
Garw Colliery shaft accident, 1901 Two men taking a water tank out of the upcast shaft at the Ocean Coal Company's Garw Colliery, Blaengarw, on 4 October 1901 fell from the six-feet landing to the bottom when the two trolleys they stood on came apart.	4 October 1901	Winding / Shaft Accident	Bridgend	2
Parkfield Colliery blackdamp deaths, 1856 A collier who went into a stopped district at Parkfield Colliery, Pucklechurch, on 14 May 1856 to fetch a sledgehammer was suffocated by blackdamp, and so was the man who ran in to save him.	14 May 1856	Gas / Asphyxiation	Bristol	2
Cwmbach Colliery explosion, 1853 Two eleven-year-old door boys were killed by an explosion of gas at Cwmbach Colliery, near Aberdare, on 12 September 1853; the colliery was said to be unsafe and its lamps were not locked.	12 September 1853	Explosion	Rhondda Cynon Taf	2
Cwmbach Colliery explosion, 1852 A shot fired in gas exploded the firedamp at the Aberdare Coal Company's Cwmbach Colliery, near Aberdare, on 8 October 1852, killing two colliers; one list records that the shot was fired knowing the gas would explode.	8 October 1852	Explosion	Rhondda Cynon Taf	2
Barrow Colliery shaft accident, 1907 A cage carrying men up No. 3 shaft at Barrow Colliery, Worsbrough, was held for a moment at the Thorncliffe landing on 15 November 1907, swung violently and struck the shaft girders; seven men were thrown out and fell to their deaths.	15 November 1907	Winding / Shaft Accident	South Yorkshire	7
Rotherham Main Colliery roof fall, 1910 A ripper and his fifteen-year-old assistant were killed in December 1910 by a heavy fall of roof in a haulage road at Rotherham Main Colliery, where rock was being blasted out to make room for tension gear.	December 1910	Collapse / Roof Fall	South Yorkshire	2
Rotherham Main Colliery explosion, 1910 A stone falling from a cavity in the goaf at a longwall face in Rotherham Main Colliery on 21 July 1910 knocked out a prop and smashed a safety lamp, and the firedamp it brought down exploded, fatally burning three men.	21 July 1910	Explosion	South Yorkshire	3
Rotherham Main Colliery shaft accident, 1891 Sinkers working from a suspended scaffold in a shaft being sunk for John Brown and Company's Rotherham Main Colliery fell when a stay holding one of the scaffold chains broke on 7 July 1891.	7 July 1891	Winding / Shaft Accident	South Yorkshire	4
Pencoed Colliery dynamite explosion, 1888 Two men were killed by an explosion of dynamite at Pencoed Colliery, near Llanelli, on 17 December 1888; the accounts differ on whether it was being thawed at a fire or used to blow up an old engine house.	17 December 1888	Explosion	Carmarthenshire	2
Pencoed Colliery explosion, 1854 Firedamp being brushed out of the workings at Pencoed Colliery, near Llanelli, exploded on 11 July 1854 and killed a collier and his two sons; the inspector put it down to neglect of his cautions.	11 July 1854	Explosion	Carmarthenshire	3
Homer Hill Colliery explosion, 1867 A fall of two to three hundred tons of roof in a stall at Samuel Evers and Sons' Homer Hill Colliery, Cradley, released gas that exploded in the Thick Coal workings on 12 November 1867, killing twelve men over the following fortnight.	12 November 1867	Explosion	West Midlands	12
Mells Colliery fall of stone, 1920 Two men named Dowling were buried by a fall of stone in a heading at Mells Colliery, Vobster, on 16 July 1920; the manager stayed underground for twelve hours until both bodies had been recovered.	16 July 1920	Collapse / Roof Fall	Somerset	2
Garscube Colliery winding accident, 1858 Two sinkers at Garscube Colliery, Maryhill, fell fifty fathoms to the bottom of the shaft on 4 May 1858 when the wheel on the winding shaft slipped out of gear as they were being lowered.	4 May 1858	Winding / Shaft Accident	North Lanarkshire	2
Snibston Colliery fall of coal, 1858 A fall of coal at Robert Stephenson and Company's Snibston Colliery, Coalville, killed two boy pony drivers in November 1858; one account adds a sixty-year-old miner and puts the toll at three.	November 1858	Collapse / Roof Fall	Leicestershire	2
Vron Colliery shaft accident, 1853 Three men descending a shaft being sunk at Vron Colliery, near Wrexham, on 31 December 1853 were killed when the sinking carrier, which had stuck on its guides, came loose and fell on them.	31 December 1853	Winding / Shaft Accident	Wrexham	3
Shakespeare Colliery shaft accident, 1912 A 1,200-gallon water tank being wound up No. 3 shaft at Shakespeare Colliery, Dover, broke loose on 5 September 1912 and fell back on the fourteen sinkers working below, killing two of them.	5 September 1912	Winding / Shaft Accident	Kent	2
Shakespeare Colliery inrush, 1897 Water burst through the floor of No. 2 (Simpson) Pit at Shakespeare Colliery, Dover, while it was being sunk on 6 March 1897. Six of the fourteen men in the shaft were hauled out in the hoppit; the rest drowned.	6 March 1897	Flooding / Inundation	Kent	7
Pewfall Colliery roof fall, 1888 A fireman and a dataller retimbering an old crushed road in No. 3 Pit at Pewfall Colliery, Haydock, were buried on 7 July 1888 when the side came over as they took out an old bar.	7 July 1888	Collapse / Roof Fall	Greater Manchester	2
Pewfall Colliery roof fall, 1871 Two colliers named Twist were killed together by a fall of roof at Richard Evans and Company's Pewfall Colliery, near Ashton-in-Makerfield, on 29 July 1871.	29 July 1871	Collapse / Roof Fall	Greater Manchester	2
Pewfall Colliery explosion, 1867 Firedamp brushed out of a working place before a shot was fired in the Little Delf mine at Pewfall Colliery, near Ashton-in-Makerfield, was fired by the shot on 9 March 1867, fatally injuring two young drawers who were sheltering nearby.	9 March 1867	Explosion	Greater Manchester	2
Tondu Colliery shaft rope accident, 1859 Two sinkers were killed at John Brogden and Sons' Tondu Colliery, near Bridgend, on 27 October 1859 when the rope they were riding broke at a joint.	27 October 1859	Winding / Shaft Accident	Bridgend	2
Blackbrook Colliery downbrow accident, 1851 Two men were killed at Blackbrook Colliery, St Helens, on 13 January 1851 when a hook broke on the downbrow.	13 January 1851	Haulage / Transport	Merseyside	2
Blackbrook Colliery explosion and fire, 1856 Firedamp in the goaf of the Rushy Park mine at Blackbrook Colliery, St Helens, was fired by a collier working with a naked light in October 1856; the dry coal caught fire and three men were suffocated by the smoke.	11 October 1856	Explosion	Merseyside	3
Pantyffynnon Colliery runaway tram, 1909 A tram broke loose from a journey in the return airway slant at the Blaina Colliery Company's Pantyffynnon slant, near Ammanford, on 14 December 1909, killing the colliery surveyor and a mining pupil.	14 December 1909	Haulage / Transport	Carmarthenshire	2
Woodpark Colliery roof fall, 1859 A collier and a drawer were killed on 11 July 1859 by a fall of roof in the Black Mine at the Woodpark pits near Ashton-under-Lyne, where the ground was creeping.	11 July 1859	Collapse / Roof Fall	Greater Manchester	2
Hamstead Colliery roof fall, 1910 A bump in a Thick Coal working at Hamstead Colliery, Great Barr, on 14 September 1910 brought down roof coal five feet thick over an area 20 feet by 15, killing a loader and a pikeman instantly.	14 September 1910	Collapse / Roof Fall	West Midlands	2
Hamstead Colliery underground fire, 1902 A deputy and his companion travelling the return airway at Hamstead Colliery, Great Barr, on 19 June 1902 were poisoned by carbonic oxide from an underground fire.	19 June 1902	Fire	West Midlands	2
Hamstead Colliery explosion, 1901 An explosion of firedamp at the Hamstead Colliery Company's pit at Great Barr on 18 August 1901 killed a stallman and a loader; the cause was given as naked lights and inadequate ventilation.	18 August 1901	Explosion	West Midlands	2
Ashton's Green Colliery roof fall, 1909 Two men repairing a roadway at Bromilow, Foster and Company's Ashton's Green Colliery, St Helens, were killed on 18 December 1909 when the roof fell up to the seam above, eight yards overhead.	18 December 1909	Collapse / Roof Fall	Merseyside	2
Ashton's Green Colliery roof fall, 1896 Two colliers walking down the haulage downbrow to their work at Ashton's Green Colliery, St Helens, were buried on 25 September 1896 when the roof gave way at an untimbered joint.	25 September 1896	Collapse / Roof Fall	Merseyside	2
Eccleston Hall Colliery cage accident, 1909 Two men at Eccleston Hall Colliery, St Helens, were fatally injured in 1909 when the descending cage struck long bars they had left too near the shaft at a mouthing, tilting them up onto the men.	6 October 1909	Winding / Shaft Accident	Merseyside	2
Cefn Slip Colliery fall of coal, 1902 Two men were killed by a fall of coal at the face of Cefn Slip Colliery in October 1902, the coal slipping suddenly from the upper side of a long cut held by a single sprag.	October 1902	Collapse / Roof Fall	Bridgend	2
Taff Merthyr Colliery roof fall, 1956 A heavy fall in the Nine Feet seam at Taff Merthyr on 27 June 1956 trapped six men 1,200 feet below ground; three were dragged clear, one was dug out after five hours, and two, Clive Emery and Leslie Hockey, died before rescue squads reached them fifteen hours later.	27 June 1956	Collapse / Roof Fall	Merthyr Tydfil	2
Dillwyn Colliery gas asphyxiation, 1958 Two men were suffocated by gas in No. 1 Pit of Dillwyn Colliery, Seven Sisters, on 29 December 1958; the fireman, Kenneth Davies, who died trying to help, was awarded the Edward Medal posthumously.	29 December 1958	Gas / Asphyxiation	Neath Port Talbot	2
Hafodyrynys Colliery roof fall, 1962 A fall of hundreds of tons in the main roadway of the Hafodyrynys drift mine in May 1962, at the change of shift, killed four repairers; night-shift men volunteered for the rescue parties, which worked through the night.	6-7 May 1962	Collapse / Roof Fall	Caerphilly	4
Wern Tarw Colliery roof fall, 1951 At about 1 a.m. on 14 March 1951, fourteen yards of heading collapsed at Wern Tarw Colliery near Pencoed, bringing down over fifty tons and burying repairers; three died and one was seriously injured after a rescue lasting up to thirteen hours.	14 March 1951	Collapse / Roof Fall	Bridgend	3
Bedwas Navigation Colliery roof fall, 1930 A three-ton stone fell on two men turning a conveyor at Bedwas Navigation Colliery on 28 February 1930, mortally injuring John William Howley; the accounts differ on whether his companion James Williams was killed or injured.	28 February 1930	Collapse / Roof Fall	Caerphilly	1
Tylorstown Colliery runaway journey, 1908 A runaway journey of trams in No. 7 Pit, Tylorstown, in March 1908 killed two men repairing the roof of an incline, burying them under a fall brought down when the trams struck their staging.	March 1908	Haulage / Transport	Rhondda Cynon Taf	2
Rhas Las Colliery explosion, 1855 An explosion of firedamp at Rhas Las Colliery on 16 June 1855 fatally injured an eleven-year-old horse driver, Isaac Evans, and killed the collier Richard Williams, in a pit with no locked lamps and no printed rules.	16 June 1855	Explosion	Merthyr Tydfil	2
Middle Duffryn Colliery shaft accident, 1858 Seven men descending Middle Duffryn's shaft in the bucket in July 1858 fell to the bottom when the bucket caught the guide chain and the hauling chain broke; three were killed and four badly hurt.	10 July 1858	Winding / Shaft Accident	Rhondda Cynon Taf	3
Wishaw Colliery explosion, 1856 An explosion of firedamp at James Anderson and Company's No. 6 Pit at Wishaw on 15 October 1856 killed two boys working as drawers and injured a man and another boy.	15 October 1856	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	2
Spindle Point Colliery explosion, 1847 An explosion of gas in a new pit being sunk at Spindle Point, near Clifton, by the trustees of the late Ellis Fletcher killed the four bricksetters working at the bottom on the night of 26-27 January 1847.	26-27 January 1847	Explosion	Greater Manchester	4
Sark's Hope Mine flooding, 1845 In 1845 the ceiling of the deepest gallery of Sark's Hope silver mine at Port Gorey, Little Sark, collapsed and the sea flooded the workings, drowning ten miners. The company was uninsured; mining ceased, the concern was wound up in 1847, and the debts cost the Le Pelley family the fief of Sark.	1845	Flooding / Inundation	Sark	10
Balbardie Colliery runaway carriage, 1866 On the night of Saturday 12 May 1866 two girls who had brought supper to their relatives at No. 1 pit, Balbardie Colliery, near Bathgate, persuaded the men to let them ride down the dook to see the workings. The rope of the carriage had run slack; when it tightened it broke, and the carriage ran away down the incline and overturned. Ann Baxter died almost at once and Catherine Leech soon after; her uncle was gravely injured.	1866	Haulage / Transport	West Lothian	2
Skellyton Colliery explosion, 1937 On the afternoon of 22 October 1937 an explosion in the Clyde Head section of Skellyton Colliery, Larkhall, killed the colliery manager, David Baxter, and the fireman, Charles Laird Lyle. Gas had been found at the coal face there that morning and the men turned back; the two officials were in the section when it fired.	1937	Explosion	South Lanarkshire	2
Cobbinshaw South mine explosion, 1912 In January 1912 a fireman and two other men were sealing off a gassy part of the Tarbrax Oil Company's Cobbinshaw No. 3 shale mine with a stopping, working with safety lamps that had no bonnets. With the stopping nearly finished, the gas fired and blew it out, and its stones killed the fireman, Robert McArdle, and John Scanton and injured the third man.	January 1912	Explosion	West Lothian	2
Dalmeny shale pits roof fall, 1908 On the night of 12 February 1908 men were clearing a fall from the haulage road of the Dalmeny Oil Company's shale mine near South Queensferry, which had long been under repair and heightening, when a large stone fell from the roof fifteen feet above and buried five of them. The fireman, George Halkett, was killed outright and a second man died before reaching the infirmary; the manager, examining the roof at the time, was critically injured.	12 February 1908	Collapse / Roof Fall	West Lothian	2
Duddingston shale mines runaway tub, 1912 On 27 May 1912 two roadsmen of the Oakbank Oil Company's Duddingston shale mines near Winchburgh were killed walking down the main haulage dook of No. 1 mine to their work, when a loaded tub slipped from the stationary endless rope and ran down onto them.	1912	Haulage / Transport	West Lothian	2
Allanshaw Colliery explosion, 1904 Early on the morning of 13 June 1904 a man at the pit bottom of No. 1 pit, Allanshaw Colliery, Hamilton, heard a dull noise. A search found the miner Patrick Harrison unconscious and badly burned and his son dead. There were signs of an explosion, yet the workings were undamaged and both men's safety lamps were locked. Patrick Harrison died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary two days later.	13 June 1904	Explosion	South Lanarkshire	2
Spindleside Colliery crane accident, 1921 On the afternoon of Friday 18 March 1921 the manager of Spindleside Colliery, Cleland, Robert Mackay, and its electrical engineer, Thomas Buchanan, were unloading part of a haulage engine from a motor lorry with a jib crane when the crane snapped and the jib fell on them. Both died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary that evening.	18 March 1921	Machinery	North Lanarkshire	2
Swinhill Colliery explosion, 1939 On the afternoon of 26 October 1939 an explosion in the Drumgray section of Swinhill Colliery, Larkhall, killed two miners, Archibald Brown, 35, and John Clark, 16. Other men in the pit were unaffected; seven of them made five attempts to reach the two through dense smoke.	26 October 1939	Explosion	South Lanarkshire	2
Swinhill Colliery roof fall, 1909 On the morning of Saturday 13 March 1909 men were repairing a roadway in No. 2 pit at the Darngavil Coal Company's Swinhill Colliery, near Larkhall, when a fall of stones came away from the roof and buried two of them. William M'Lean was dead when they were dug out; William Plenderleith lived about two hours.	13 March 1909	Collapse / Roof Fall	South Lanarkshire	2
Swinhill Colliery overwinding, 1901 On 16 December 1901, as three men stood in the cage at the top of No. 6 pit, Swinhill, near Larkhall, ready to go down, the engineman started the engine the wrong way. The cage was drawn up into the headgear and two of the men fell about 50 fathoms down the shaft; the third was rescued from the top, badly crushed.	16 December 1901	Winding / Shaft Accident	South Lanarkshire	2
Kippsbyre Colliery inundation, 1939 About midday on 22 September 1939 water from disused workings burst into Francis McLean's mine at Airdrie, named Mosside in the official returns and the newspapers of the day and Kippsbyre in a 2020 Scottish Parliament motion. Five men raced the rising water to the shaft and got out with seconds to spare; Thomas Lang, James Walker and Alexander Kinnaird, working in a side gallery, were trapped and drowned, and their bodies were never recovered.	22 September 1939	Flooding / Inundation	North Lanarkshire	3
Bankpark Colliery cage accident, 1913 On 18 July 1913 the engineer and a labourer of the Bankpark Coal Company's colliery at Tranent were riding up the upcast shaft when the winding rope broke and the cage fell 46 fathoms to the sump, killing both. The rope, little more than a year old, had lost a strand two days earlier and proved to have rusted through from the inside.	18 July 1913	Winding / Shaft Accident	East Lothian	2
Viewpark Colliery explosion, 1922 On the morning of 11 April 1922 an electric coal cutter burst in the eastern section of the Splint seam of No. 1 pit at Robert Addie and Sons' Viewpark Colliery, Uddingston, in a section where gas had been found before. Eleven of the twelve men there were seriously burned; John Chalmers, 21, and Andrew Martin, 46, died two days later. The whole workforce struck the next day, and the inquiry returned an open verdict.	11 April 1922	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	2
Prestongrange Colliery explosion, 1887 At about six in the morning of 29 August 1887, with the miners of Prestongrange Colliery near Prestonpans on strike, Frederick Curtis and his fourteen-year-old son Francis went down to fetch their tools from the Jewel seam, with the fireman James M'Ewan, carrying a safety lamp, ahead to examine the places. An explosion killed all three. Only a few men were in the pit; the miners worked with open lamps.	29 August 1887	Explosion	East Lothian	3
Prestongrange Colliery roof fall, 1914 In 1914 two men straightening the line of the upper part of a conveyor face at the Summerlee Iron Company's Prestongrange Colliery were buried when a block of roof nearly six feet thick collapsed without warning. James Johnstone was killed outright and James Cooper lived for two and a half hours. The Dundee Courier reported it in late October; NMRS dates it 23 December.	October 1914	Collapse / Roof Fall	East Lothian	2
Prestongrange Colliery roof fall, 1910 About noon on 6 October 1910 a heavy fall in the Summerlee company's Prestongrange Colliery, near Prestonpans, caught three Musselburgh miners driving a mine through a faulted stretch of the Jewel seam workings. All three were conscious and talking as the manager and a visiting Inspector of Mines led seven hours of rescue work; Thomas Gorman died in the Infirmary next morning and Campbell later.	6 October 1910	Collapse / Roof Fall	East Lothian	2
Balbardie Colliery boiler explosion, 1895 On the morning of Tuesday 19 February 1895 the two centre boilers of six at the Dovecot pit of Walker and Cameron's Balbardie Colliery, Bathgate, burst, wrecking the pithead works, felling a chimney stalk and killing the fireman Richard Beswick and a labourer, Robert Strickland. About 300 men were thrown idle.	19 February 1895	Machinery	West Lothian	2
Darngavil Colliery inrush, 1920 On 18 August 1920, with seven men at work in a seam of Darngavil Colliery at Greengairs, surface water broke into the shafts at 1,200 gallons a minute. The pump could not keep up and the men were likely to be cut off. The engineman ran to fetch John Shields, a miner who lived close by; Shields went down alone into the rising water and brought all seven out. He was awarded the Edward Medal.	18 August 1920	Flooding / Inundation	North Lanarkshire	0
Westrigg Colliery roof fall, 1920 On 29 January 1920 a heavy fall of roof in United Collieries' Westrigg Colliery at Blackridge buried seven men. When they were dug out John M'Garrity was dead; Peter Marshall and George Sneddon, taken with James Watson to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, died later, Sneddon on 24 March. Three others were less seriously hurt.	29 January 1920	Collapse / Roof Fall	North Lanarkshire	3
Quarter Colliery shaft accident, 1906 About two in the afternoon of 21 December 1906 the engineman of United Collieries' pit at Quarter, near Hamilton, felt a snatch on the rope and a piece of the cage slides fell to the bottom. The manager, Robert Gardiner, the oversman, Andrew Maxwell, and an oncostman, James Macginty, went into the shaft to examine it; a mass of debris broke away from the shaft side and crushed them and their cage at the pit bottom.	21 December 1906	Winding / Shaft Accident	South Lanarkshire	3
Wishaw Colliery explosion, 1849 At half past five on the morning of 13 August 1849 firedamp exploded in Mr Wilson's No. 6 pit at Wishaw Colliery as the shift went down. The blast threw both cages, the slides, part of the barring and the midwall out of the shaft, with one man, and scattered remains 400 yards. A boy below called to be taken up, but the pit filled with damp; all nine underground died, while nearly thirty more waited at the top.	13 August 1849	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	9
Monkland Colliery roof fall, 1903 On the forenoon of 8 October 1903 a fall from the roof buried a young miner, John M'Donald, in No. 11 pit of James Dunlop and Co.'s Monkland Colliery at Calderbank. His father and a workmate, Philip Jarvie, ran to dig him out; the roof came down on them too, and all three died before they could be freed.	8 October 1903	Collapse / Roof Fall	North Lanarkshire	3
Haughhead Colliery explosion, 1867 On the afternoon of Saturday 13 April 1867, after work had stopped at Merry and Cunninghame's Haughhead Colliery, Hamilton, the underground manager James Bryce and a drawer began to remove a stopping built to confine gas from an earlier fire in the soft coal. The pent-up gas reached a miner's lamp nearly thirty fathoms off and exploded, killing all three men.	13 April 1867	Explosion	South Lanarkshire	3
Newliston Mine fire, 1919 Fire broke out in the upper level of Young's Newliston shale mine near Broxburn on Tuesday 15 April 1919. When local efforts failed, rescue brigades from Bathgate and Coatbridge fought it for two days. Early on 18 April, working round by a circuitous road to open an air course, the teams met carbon monoxide far from the fire; their masks failed, and three young rescue men died.	18 April 1919	Fire	West Lothian	3
Philpstoun No. 5 Mine explosion, 1907 On the afternoon of 28 January 1907 gas exploded in No. 5 shale mine of James Ross and Co., Philpstoun Oil Works, on the hill above Ecclesmachan. Part of the roadway roof came down, and when rescuers cleared it they found the three miners beyond it, all about twenty and unmarried, dead of asphyxia.	28 January 1907	Explosion	West Lothian	3
Blairadam Colliery roof fall, 1908 At about four in the morning of 13 February 1908, in No. 2 pit of Blairadam Colliery on the west side of Kelty, at least twelve yards of a hard freestone roof fell without warning onto an electric coal-cutting machine in the Dunfermline Splint seam. Its machineman and two assistants were killed. The pit had been idle the day before, and only six men were below.	13 February 1908	Collapse / Roof Fall	Fife	3
Orbiston Colliery fire, 1893 About midnight on Friday 26 May 1893 fire was found in the Splint coal of Orbiston Colliery, Bellshill, where a fall of coal and rubbish had come down by a working pump. Seven men sent to put it out stayed too long and were overcome by 'white damp'; most were got out, but Peter M'Allister, John M'Killop and William Maddison, who went in to save a fellow-workman, died. The fire was under control by midday on Saturday.	27 May 1893	Fire	North Lanarkshire	3
Gavieside No. 11 Pit cage accident, 1885 Between six and seven on the morning of Monday 16 March 1885, the eighth cage lowered into No. 11 Gavieside shale pit at West Calder left its slides less than twenty fathoms down and jammed. The rope kept paying out until the cage broke free and dropped some thirty fathoms; four of the six young miners in it were thrown out and killed at the bottom of the shaft.	16 March 1885	Winding / Shaft Accident	West Lothian	4
Montgomeryfield Colliery cage accident, 1898 At about six in the morning of 24 February 1898 four lads were being lowered to the Tourha landing of No. 1 Montgomeryfield Pit, Dreghorn, when coils of the rope slipped off the drum onto a cross beam, which broke. The double-decked cage fell to the bottom, through a newly laid scaffold and into fourteen feet of water, killing all four, two of them brothers.	24 February 1898	Winding / Shaft Accident	North Ayrshire	4
Springhill Colliery explosion, 1917 At about 7.30 on the morning of 18 July 1917 four men walked up the stone drift to the abandoned Major coal workings of No. 1 Cauldhame Pit, Springhill Colliery, at Springside near Kilmarnock, to lift the last rails. The fireman went first with a naked light. Gas had gathered at the top of the drift, and it exploded; all four were badly burned and died in Kilmarnock Infirmary over the next five days.	18 July 1917	Explosion	North Ayrshire	4
Drumpellier Colliery explosion, 1875 On Friday 16 July 1875 three young men, the brothers Charles and John Richardson and Arthur Moffat, were killed by a firedamp explosion in No. 4 pit, Drumpellier, Coatbridge, while replacing a wooden brattice with a brick air-course wall between the Splint and Kiltongue coals. The manager had told them the day before not to go to the work.	16 July 1875	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	3
Drumpellier Colliery explosion, 1898 At about 5.10 p.m. on 28 January 1898, as two brushers and the night fireman prepared a shot in the engine dook of the Summerlee and Mossend company's Drumpellier Colliery, Coatbridge, a charge of gunpowder, not the permitted roburite, fired the thick coal dust. All three were killed, and the day fireman John Gordon died of afterdamp in the search. The inquiry found the cause to be 'a shot of gunpowder igniting coal dust'.	28 January 1898	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	4
Barrwood Colliery explosion and fire, 1878 On the morning of 8 March 1878, two hours after eighty men had gone down Barrwood Colliery at Kilsyth, the air reversed and the bottom of the downcast shaft filled with flame. Men in the ironstone workings escaped to the upcast, but those in the main dook were cut off. Rescuers were driven back by afterdamp and repeated explosions, and on the sixth day the burning mine was sealed and flooded. Seventeen died; the last body was recovered on 10 September.	8 March 1878	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	17
Edmonstone Colliery shaft collapse, 1839 At about half past ten on the night of Friday 8 March 1839 the lined shaft of an Edmonstone Colliery pit, leased by Alexander and Mowbray Stenhouse, gave way some forty or fifty yards down, entombing nine men and four women and girls. After two failed attempts to reach them, they groped through a flooded air passage to a neighbouring pit and were all brought up alive on the Sunday morning, 36 hours after they went down.	8 March 1839	Collapse / Roof Fall	Midlothian	0
Robroyston Colliery firedamp deaths, 1926 On 3 November 1926, in the last month of the national stoppage, two miners returning to John Watson Ltd's Robroyston Colliery, Glasgow, were allowed to go to a through airway between two stone drifts to fetch tools left there in April. They did not come back; search parties found them dead among firedamp, 70 yards beyond the point where they had been told to stop.	3 November 1926	Gas / Asphyxiation	Glasgow	2
Robroyston Colliery overwind, 1924 At about quarter past ten on the night of 28 March 1924, as the back shift came up and the night shift went down at Robroyston Colliery, the winding engine overwound. The ascending cage, with eight men, smashed into the headgear beams; the descending cage, with six, crashed into the sump. All fourteen were injured and five died.	28 March 1924	Winding / Shaft Accident	Glasgow	5
Quarrelton Colliery inrush, 1818 On the morning of 2 May 1818 miners at Mr Houston's Quarrelton pit by Johnstone took the coal too close to an old pit full of water, and it broke in. Of those cut off, five died; two were found alive ten days later, having lived on pit water and three pieces of oatcake found in the pockets of men who escaped.	2 May 1818	Flooding / Inundation	Renfrewshire	5
Quarrelton Colliery bucket accident, 1805 At the turn of 1804 and 1805 three men were being let down a coal pit at Quarrelton, near Johnstone and Paisley, in a bucket when the rope broke and they fell to the bottom. Two died instantly and the third about two hours later. It is the first recorded accident at Quarrelton in which miners lost their lives.	Late 1804 or early 1805	Winding / Shaft Accident	Renfrewshire	3
Carbarns Colliery explosion, 1900 At a quarter to one on 12 February 1900 the manager, oversman, fireman and an oncostman at Carbarns Colliery, Wishaw, were trying to clear firedamp from a new heading in the Ell Coal when it exploded. The manager, Henry Danks, was killed; the oversman, fireman and oncostman also died.	12 February 1900	Explosion	North Lanarkshire	3