Mine Accidents    Mine Disasters    Worst US Mine Disasters

The term "mine disaster" historically has been applied to mine accidents claiming five or more lives.  Mine disasters, in this sense, once were appallingly common.  For instance, the single year of 1907 saw 18 coal mine disasters, plus two more disasters in the metal and nonmetal mining industry.  Among the disasters in 1907 was history's worst - the Monongah coal mine explosion, which claimed 362 lives and impelled Congress to create the Bureau of Mines. Mine accidents have declined dramatically in number and severity through decades of research, technology, and preventive programs.  Today, mine accidents resulting in five or more deaths are no longer common.  However, preventing recurrence of disasters like those of the past remains a top priority requiring constant vigilance by management, labor, and government. Statistical Summary Number of Documented Mine Disasters (where 5 or more deaths occurred): Historic Period Coal Mine Disasters Metal and Nonmetal Mine Disasters Total Disasters Through 1875 19 4 23 1876-1900 101 17 118 1901-1925 305 51 356 1926-1950 147 23 170 1951-1975 35 9 44 1976-present 16 1 17 Year with largest number of coal mine fatalities: 1907 (3,242)  [see list] Year with lowest number of coal mine fatalities: 2009 (18) Year with largest number of metal/nonmetal mine fatalities: 1917 (983)  [see list] Year with lowest number of metal/nonmetal mine fatalities: 2009 (16) Year with largest number of coal mine disasters: 1909 (20 coal mine disasters) Year with largest number of metal/nonmetal mine disasters: 1911 (8 metal/nonmetal mine disasters) Year with largest number of mine disasters overall: 1910 (25 mine disasters-19 coal, 6 metal/nonmetal) Listing of Selected Historic Mine Disasters Coal Mines All accidents with five or more fatalities, since 1970 see also - Mine Disasters Since 1980 and Coal Mine Fatalities: 1900-2010 The planet links below will open in a separate window Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 2010 04/05 Upper Big Branch Mine, Massey Energy Company Montcoal, WV Explosion 29 2007 08/06 08/16 Crandall Canyon Mine, Genwal and Murray Energy Corporation Huntington, UT Collapse 6 3 2006 05/20 Darby Mine No. 1, Kentucky Darby LLC Holmes Mill, KY Explosion 5 2006 01/02 Sago Mine, International Mines Corp. Tallmansville, WV Explosion 12 2001 09/23 No. 5 Mine, Jim Walter Resources Tuscaloosa County Brookwood, AL Explosion 13 1992 12/07 No. 3 Mine, Southmountain Coal Co. Wise County Norton, VA Explosion 8 1989 09/13 William Station No. 9 Mine, Pyro Mining Co. Union County Sullivan, KY Explosion 10 1986 02/06 Loveridge No. 22, Consolidation Coal Co. Marion County Fairview, WV Suffocation (surface stockpile) 5 1984 12/19 Wilberg Mine, Emery Mining Corp. Emery County Orangeville, UT Fire 27 1983 06/21 McClure No. 1 Mine, Clinchfield Coal Co. Dickinson County McClure, VA Explosion 7 1982 01/20 No. 1 Mine, RFH Coal Co. Floyd County Craynor, KY Explosion 7 1981 12/08 No. 21 Mine, Grundy Mining Co. Marion County Whitwell, TN Explosion 13 1981 12/07 No. 11 Mine, Adkins Coal Co. Knott County Kite, KY Explosion 8 1981 04/15 Dutch Creek No. 1, Mid-Continent Resources, Inc. Pitkin County Redstone, CO Explosion 15 1980 11/07 Ferrell No. 17, Westmorland Coal Co. Boone County Uneeda, WV Explosion 5 1978 04/04 Moss No.3 Portal A, Clinchfield Coal Co. Dickinson County Duty, VA Suffocation (oxygen deficient air) 5 1977 03/01 Porter Tunnel, Kocher Coal Co. Schuykill County Tower City, PA Flood 9 1976 03/9-11 Scotia Mine, Blue Diamond Coal Co. Letcher County Oven Fork, KY Explosion 26 1972 12/16 Itmann No. 3 Mine, Itmann Coal Co. Wyoming County Itmann, WV Explosion 5 1972 07/22 Blacksville No. 1, Consolidation Coal Co. Monongalia County Blacksville, WV Fire 9 1970 12/30 Nos. 15 and 16 Mines, Finley Coal Co. Leslie County Hyden, KY Explosion 38 The five worst coal mine disasters, since 1940: Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 1968 11/20 Consol No. 9 Farmington, WV Explosion 78 1951 12/21 Orient No. 2 West Frankfort, IL Explosion 119 1947 03/25 Centralia No. 5 Centralia, IL Explosion 111 1940 03/16 Willow Grove No. 10 St. Clairsville, OH Explosion 72 1940 01/10 Pond Creek No. 1 Bartley, WV Explosion 91 The five worst coal mine disasters in U.S. history: Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 1907 12/06 Monongah Nos. 6 and 8 Monongah, WV Explosion 362 1913 10/22 Stag Canon No. 2 Dawson, NM Explosion 263 1909 11/13 St. Paul No. 2 (Cherry) Cherry, IL Fire 259 1907 12/19 Darr Mine Jacobs Creek, PA Explosion 239 1900 05/01 Winter Quarters 1, 2 Scofield, UT Explosion 200 The five worst Anthracite coal mine disasters in U.S. history: Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 1869 09/06 Avondale Plymouth, PA Fire 110 1919 06/05 Baltimore Tunnel No. 2 Wilkes-Barre, PA Explosives 92 1911 04/07 Price Pancoast PDF file only (2.3 Mb) Throop, PA Fire 72 1896 06/28 Twin Pittston, PA Roof Fall 58 1924 01/26 Lancashire No. 18 Shanktown, PA Explosion 36 The U. S. Bureau of Mines was established on May 16, 1910.  During the three years leading up to its start (1907 to 1909), there were 50 coal mine disasters in which 5 or more miners were killed.  Total killed - 1,779 Year No. of Disasters No. Killed 1907 18 918 1908 12 356 1909 20 505 Metal and Nonmetal Mines see also - Metal and Nonmetal Mine Fatalities: 1900-2010 All accidents with five or more fatalities, since 1970: Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 1979 06/08 Belle Isle Mine, Cargill, Inc. (salt) St. Mary Parish, Franklin, LA Explosion 5 1972 05/02 Sunshine Mine, Sunshine Mining Co. (silver) Shoshone County, Kellogg, ID Fire 91 1971 04/12 Barnett Complex, Ozark-Mahoning Co. (fluorspar) Pope County, Rosiclair, IL H2S Poisoning 7 The five worst metal and nonmetal mine disasters, since 1940: Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 1972 05/02 Sunshine Mine (silver) Kellogg, ID Fire 91 1968 03/05 Belle Isle Mine (salt) Franklin, LA Fire 21 1963 08/27 Cane Creek Mine (potash) Moab, UT Explosion 18 1943 01/05 Boyd Mine (copper) Ducktown, TN Explosion 9 1942 03/26 Sandts Eddy Quarry (limestone) Allentown, PA Explosion (surface) 31 The three worst metal and nonmetal mine disasters in U.S. history: Year Day Mine Location Type Deaths Planets 1972 05/02 Sunshine Mine (silver) Kellogg, ID Fire 91 1926 11/03 Barnes Hecker Mine (iron) Ishpeming, MI Flood 51 1917 06/08 Granite Mountain Shaft (copper) Butte, MT Fire 163   Mine Disasters Occurring During War Years Mine Rescue Success Stories and Rescuer Deaths References 1969-1990 Individual Bureau of Mines, MESA, and MSHA accident investigation reports. Historic Accidents Coal Mines: Bureau of Mines Bulletin 586, "Historical Summary of Coal-Mine Explosions in the United States, 1810-1958" (1960).  Bureau of Mines Bulletin 616, "Historical Documentation of Major Coal-Mine Disasters in the United States Not Classified As Explosions of Gas or Dust: 1846-1962" (1963).  Bureau of Mines Information Circular 8909, "Historical Summary of Coal Mine Explosions in the United States, 1959-81" (1983).  "Coal Accidents That Resulted in 5 or More Fatalities Mine From 1957 Through January 1982," listing informally maintained by staff, Office of Information and Public Affairs. Metal/Nonmetal Mines: Bureau of Mines IC 7493, "Major Disasters at Metal and Nonmetal Mines and Quarries in the United States (Excluding Coal Mines)" (1949).  "List of accidents at metal and nonmetal mines and quarries (except coal mines) in the United States in which five or more lives were lost," update of Table 1 from the preceding publication, informally maintained by staff, Office of Information and Public Affairs.