MineArchiveSenghenydd colliery disaster, 1901
| Date | 24 May 1901 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Universal Colliery |
| Region | Caerphilly |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 81 |
| Context | During active mining |
| Status | Researched |
Three underground explosions killed 81 miners at Universal Colliery as the night shift was leaving — an earlier disaster at the same colliery that struck again, far more severely, in 1913.
Cause
An inquiry led by mining engineer William Galloway found that excessive airborne coal dust had aggravated the initial ignition, propagating a chain of three explosions.
What happened
On 24 May 1901, as the night shift was making its way out of Universal Colliery, three explosions in quick succession swept through the workings, killing 81 men.
Investigation & inquiry
William Galloway's inquiry concluded that inadequate watering of the mine had allowed dangerous coal dust to accumulate, which propagated and intensified the explosions beyond what the initial ignition alone would have caused — the same underlying hazard, unaddressed, that contributed to the far larger 1913 disaster at the same colliery.
Sources
- (secondary) Senghenydd colliery disaster — Wikipedia
Record created: 22 August 2026 · Last researched: 22 August 2026