Courrières mining disaster

▪ French history

      underground explosion and fire that took place in a French mine on March 10, 1906. The mining disaster, one of Europe's worst, killed 1,099 people; hundreds more were injured.

      The mine, owned by the Courrières mining company, was located near the Pas-de-Calais hills in northern France. A few days before the explosion, smoke and toxic gas reportedly were detected at the mining site; however, work in the mine continued. The day before the main explosion, a fire was reported deep in the mine. Workers attempted to seal off the area to contain and suffocate the flames, but flammable gas leaked from the walls near the fire. It is thought that this flammable gas ignited, spurring a huge explosion that sent flames racing through the rest of the mine.

      More than half the men who had been in the mine were declared dead when the search efforts ended three days later. Many of the miners were killed by the flames. Some were suffocated or killed by poisonous gases, while others were crushed. Additional workers outside the mine lost their lives because of the huge impact of the explosion. Among the hundreds of miners who managed to escape was a group who found their way to the surface 20 days after the explosion. Following the disaster, the owners of the mine were lambasted by critics who speculated that rescue attempts had been cut short in an effort to save money.

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