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.

1 disaster in the 1700s, of 874.

Disaster	Date	Type	Region	Fatalities
Fatfield Colliery explosion, 1708 At three o'clock in the morning of 18 August 1708 fire burst from the mouths of three pits at Fatfield, on the Wear near Chester-le-Street, with a noise like cannon, and 69 people died. Two men and a woman were blown up the 342-foot shaft and thrown clear of the pit.	18 August 1708	Explosion	Tyne and Wear	69