11942 Benxihu Colliery Mine accident (China, 1549 casualties)
A tragic coal dust explosion killed an incredible third of the workers at the Benxihu Colliery Mine. The explosion occurred when gasses within the mine mixed with coal dust causing a dangerous reaction. Reports indicate that the blast from the explosion was so strong that it erupted from the mine’s entrance. An astonishing 1,549 people at the Benxihu Colliery lost their lives.