Naval Colliery explosion, 1884

Date	27 January 1884
Mine	Naval Colliery
Region	Rhondda Cynon Taf
Type	Explosion
Fatalities	12 (11 men were killed directly in the explosion; a twelfth, Daniel Thomas, died later from suffocation sustained while taking part in the rescue attempt, bringing the total to 12.)
Injuries	Detailed injury figures beyond the fatalities were not established from the sources checked for this pass.
Context	During active mining
Status	Basic record

A second explosion at the same Penygraig pit that had killed 101 men in 1880 struck on 27 January 1884, killing 12 — 11 in the blast itself and a twelfth, Daniel Thomas, who died later from suffocation sustained during the rescue attempt.

Cause

The explosion was caused by a shot fired by a fireman igniting a body of gas.

What happened

The explosion struck the same colliery complex that had suffered the catastrophic 1880 disaster barely four years earlier, this time on a smaller but still severe scale. Eleven men were killed in the initial blast; a twelfth victim, Daniel Thomas, died later from suffocation sustained during the rescue attempt, having gone into the workings to help recover his fellow miners.

Rescue & recovery

A rescue attempt was made following the explosion, during which one of the rescuers, Daniel Thomas, was himself overcome and later died of suffocation.

Investigation & inquiry

Detailed inquiry/inquest specifics beyond the established cause were not found in the sources checked for this pass.

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

Eleven men were killed directly in the explosion; a twelfth, Daniel Thomas, died later from suffocation sustained while taking part in the rescue attempt. ¹
The explosion was caused by a shot fired by a fireman igniting a body of gas. ¹
The colliery, having suffered a catastrophic explosion in 1880, was struck by a second explosion in 1884, within its early years of operation. ²

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “The explosion struck the same colliery complex that had suffered the catastrophic 1880 disaster barely four…”
Fireman (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s cause: “The explosion was caused by a shot fired by a fireman igniting a body of gas.”

Sources

(secondary) Naval Colliery Explosion - Penygraig - 1884 — Northern Mine Research Society
(secondary) Naval Colliery Penygraig — welshcoalmines.co.uk

Record created: 27 August 2026 · Last researched: 27 August 2026