Kentucky has a long history of coal mining disasters. These are 5 of the deadliest

The collapse of an 11-story coal mining plant in Martin County left two workers trapped under the rubble as crews worked to free them Wednesday. One of the workers has since been confirmed dead.

But the plant’s collapse Tuesday is the latest in a long history of deadly disasters at coal facilities in Kentucky. It isn’t even the only one to occur in Martin County.

Working at coal plants is one of the most dangerous jobs in America because the process liberates methane and dust that can ignite at any time.

A 2010 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found employees in the coal mining industry are more likely to be killed or injured, and their injuries are more likely to be severe, than workers in all of private industry.

Here’s a look at some of the worst coal disasters in Kentucky history.

1917: No. 7 mine explosion in Webster County kills 62 men

On the morning of Aug. 4, 1917, a methane gas explosion at the Western Kentucky Coal Company’s No. 7 mine in Webster County killed 62 of the 153 men underground at the time. The other 91 men in the mine escaped without serious injury, including 43 who remained in an area of the mine unaffected by the blast for more than three hours.

The disaster occurred just a few months after the U.S. officially declared war on Germany and entered World War I, and at a time when mining companies throughout Western Kentucky were feuding with miners’ unions.

The No. 7 mine was under a strike when Black miners were brought in by the coal company to break it, unleashing a wave of racism and threats of violence against them. While some Black miners and their families fled to Louisville for safety, others stayed. Ultimately, of the 62 miners killed in the explosion, 51 were Black.

1970: Hurricane Creek mine disaster kills 38 in Eastern Kentucky

An explosion at Finley Mine on Hurricane Creek, near Hyden in Leslie County, killed 38 miners when the blast occurred Dec. 30, 1970.

The Hurricane Creek disaster is remembered as the deadliest mine disaster in Eastern Kentucky, and it ultimately left nearly 100 children without their fathers shortly after the Christmas holiday.

The incident was reported to have occurred when an illegal detonating cord used for blasting sparked some coal dust, which ignited and triggered an explosion, according to KET. The explosion’s only survivor was A.T. Collins, who was ejected from a mine shaft by the blast wave. Collins died in 2007, and his son was instrumental in local efforts to build a memorial that stands today.

In 2021, Herald-Leader reporters Bill Estep and Morgan Eads caught up with victims’ family members as they marked the 50th anniversary of the disaster. Five decades later, families are still mourning the loss of their loved ones.

1976: Scotia Mine explosions kill 26 in Letcher County

A series of blasts in 1976 at the Scotia Mine in Eastern Kentucky is considered to be among the worst mine disasters in U.S. history.

It was shortly before noon March 9, 1976, when an explosion set off by coal dust and gas shook the Scotia Mine, a subsidiary of the Blue Diamond Coal Co. Two days later, another explosion erupted, and between both blasts, 26 miners were killed.

The explosions helped lead to the passage of the Federal Mine Safety Act of 1977, which itself strengthened the previous 1969 Coal Mine and Safety Act, at the time considered the most important mine safety legislation ever enacted in the U.S.

2000: Martin County coal slurry spill triggers environmental fallout

On Oct. 11, 2000, a spill from a Martin County Coal Corp. waste containment pond polluted more than 100 miles of creeks, streams and rivers running through Kentucky and West Virginia.

While no human injuries were reported at the time of the spill, about 250 million gallons of creeping sludge containing arsenic and mercury triggered a massive wildlife die-off and environmental fallout in the region. For comparison, the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 leaked 11 million gallons of oil in Prince William Sound in Alaska, making the Martin County coal slurry spill more than 20 times larger.

The Martin County spill became an early scandal for President George W. Bush’s administration, when a whistleblower alleged a cover-up on behalf of Massey Energy, which owned the coal impoundment and at the time was a generous contributor to the Republican Party.

Almost 20 years since the disaster, residents in Martin County continued to struggle with water quality issues, as the Herald-Leader reported in 2019.

2006: Darby Mine disaster in Harlan County kills five miners

On May 20, 2006, an explosion at Darby Mine No. 1 in Harlan County killed five miners, while a sixth miner walked away from the blast with burns and on his face and chest. Shortly after the disaster, then-Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher attributed the explosion to a leak of methane gas within the mine.

The disaster was one of three high-profile mining accidents to occur in a five-month period in the U.S. that year. Ultimately, the string of incidents killed 19 mine workers and renewed a push for mine safety improvements.

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