Chasnala Colliery Explosion
Dhanbad, India
December 27, 1975
A coal mine explosion followed by a flood killed at least 372 workers in Dhanbad, India, onDecember 27, 1975. An explosion at the Chasnala Colliery shook the large mine. The disaster was compounded when the ground shook so violently that millions of gallons of water from a nearby reservoir flooded into the pits. Miners who survived the initial blast were trapped under a mountain of debris and drowned when the water surged into the mine. Rescue workers attempted to dig out survivors until January 19, but no one was saved. In fact, only a small portion of the bodies were ever recovered. The local workers union claimed that there were nearly 700 workers killed in the mine, but the company maintained that there were only 372. |
