Worst mining disasters in human history
Benxihu Colliery, China (1942) -
The Benxihu Colliery in Liaoning Province, China, exploded in 1942, taking the lives of 1,549 miners with it.
Courrières Coal Mine, France (1906) - An underground fire broke out in the Courrières coal mine in Northern France on March 10, 1906.
Senghenydd Mine, Wales (1913) -
The majority of the UK's coal mines are found in Wales, a country in the southwest of Britain.
Clydesdale Mine, South Africa (1960) - It's estimated that around a thousand workers were underground when the Clydesdale mine in Pretoria collapsed.
Oaks Mine, England (1866) -
The Oaks Mine Disaster of 1866 is the second most deadly in the UK, after the Senghenydd explosion.
Aberfan Mine, Wales (1966) -
The Aberfan mining disaster of 1966 was one of the most heartbreaking in British history.
Eynez Mine, Turkey (2014) -
The large Eynez mine is found in the Manisa Province of Turkey. In 2014, it was the location of the worst mining disaster in Turkish history.
Kinross Mine, South Africa (1986) -
A fire at the Kinross gold mine Mpumalanga, South Africa, caused one of the deadliest mining disasters in the country's history.
Dhori Coal Mine, India (1965) -
The mining community of Dhanbad, India, suffered two major catastrophes 10 years apart. The first occurred in 1965.
Chasnala Colliery, India (1975) -
In 1975, disaster struck Dhanbad once again. This time, a coal dust explosion devastated the Chasnala Colliery.
Blantyre Mine, Scotland (1877) -
The Blantyre mining disaster was the worst in Scottish history. Two different pits at the site exploded on the same day, killing 207 miners.
Bois du Cazier, Belgium (1956) -
A cable broke in the Bois du Cazier mine in Belgium, igniting an underground fire in the elevator shaft.
Dongfeng Coal Mine, China (2005) - There were 242 miners underground at the time, and only a lucky few made it out alive.
Pretoria Pit, England (1910) -
The Pretoria Pit disaster was the third worst mining disaster in British history.
Monongah Coal Mine, USA (1907) -
The Monongah disaster was the worst in US history. An explosion in the mine caused by coal dust and moisture took the lives of 362 miners.
Seaham Colliery, England (1880) -
The Seaham Colliery located in Durham, England, suffered a terrible underground explosion in 1880.
Sunjiawan Mine, China (2005) -
In 2005, the Sunjiawan Coal Mine in Fuxin City suffered an explosion more than 700 feet (200 m) underground. There were 201 miners killed and 22 injured.
Copiapó Mine, Chile (2010) -
The Chilean mining accident of 2010 was one of the most internationally followed disasters in history.