MineArchiveKellingley Colliery gas explosion, 2010
A methane explosion in Kellingley Colliery's 501's District during the evening shift on 23 November 2010 forced the evacuation of 218 miners. No one was killed or seriously injured, but a Health and Safety Executive investigation found a poorly maintained safety curtain had let an explosive gas mixture build up, and the mine's operator was later prosecuted and fined.
| Date | 23 November 2010 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Kellingley Colliery |
| Region | North Yorkshire |
| Primary type | Explosion |
| Associated types | Gas / Asphyxiation |
| Fatalities | 0 (No fatalities; no serious injuries reported among the 218 miners evacuated.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
An explosive mixture of flammable gases had accumulated close to the working face because a safety curtain, designed to keep gas safely behind the coal face, had been damaged — one section cut, another removed — and was not properly maintained. The gas is believed to have been ignited by sandstone falling onto sandstone.
Contributing factors
Inadequate maintenance of the safety curtain allowed the gas mixture to migrate closer to the working area and potential ignition sources than it should have been able to.
What happened
On the evening of 23 November 2010, an explosion occurred in the 501's District at Kellingley Colliery. All 218 miners working in the area at the time were safely evacuated to the surface.
Investigation & inquiry
The Mines Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive investigated the explosion and brought a prosecution against the colliery's operator, UK Coal, at Leeds Crown Court.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
UK Coal admitted a safety breach and was fined £50,000 over the explosion.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- An explosion in the 501's District on 23 November 2010 led to the evacuation of 218 miners; no one was killed or seriously injured. 1
- A damaged, inadequately maintained safety curtain allowed an explosive gas mixture to build up close to the working face, likely ignited by sandstone falling on sandstone. 1
- UK Coal admitted a safety breach following an HSE Mines Inspectorate investigation and was fined £50,000 at Leeds Crown Court. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Coal (contextual relationship)
Gas built up at the working face because the safety curtain meant to hold it behind the coal face had been cut in one place and removed in another, and was not maintained. - Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “A methane explosion in Kellingley Colliery's 501's District during the evening shift on 23 November 2010 forced…” - HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “The Mines Inspectorate of the Health and Safety Executive investigated the explosion and…”
Sources
- (secondary) UK Coal admits safety breach after Kellingley pit explosion — HazardEx
- (secondary) Kellingley Colliery — Wikipedia
Record created: 20 August 2026 · Last researched: 20 August 2026