MINERS ENTOMBED BY TRAGIC EXPLOSION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 156, 3 July 1937, Page 9

MINERS ENTOMBED BY TRAGIC EXPLOSION.

RESCUE DRAMA. Disaster in Staffordshire Colliery. STAMPEDE UNDERGROUND. United Tress Association.—Copyright. (Received 10 a.m.) LONDON, July 2. Fire caused an explosion at the working face in the Holditeh Main colliery, Chesterton, North Staffordshire, killing three and injuring 13 miners, one of whom died in hospital. A second explosion occurred during rescue operations and scaling of the affected urea, involving 18, including mine officials and inspectors. Four members of a rescue team were overcome by gas. All these were trapped in the pit, from which their recovery alive is believed to be hopeless. There were 200 workers underground when a sheet of flame from the neigh-1 bonrhood of coal-cutting machinery caused a stampede. A count disclosed that two men were left behind and had been cut off by fire. An overseer, though lacking a respirator, tried vainly to reach them and they perished. The second explosion occurred three hours after the first and while rescue work was in full swing. Flames seriously hampered the work. Lorries rushed with tons of sand to the pit to seal off the burning area. Ten rescue teams worked until nightfall but, though it was understood that the lire had been smothered, the heat prevented access to the actual scene of the disaster.

TWENTY-SEVEN DEAD. DECISION TO FLOOD PIT. (Received 2.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 2. The casualty list in the pit disaster is 27 dead, five of whom died of injuries. Nine others are in hospital. Ascertaining that the fire was not .extinguished but was spreading engineers decided to flood the pit immediately. Seventeen bodies were located below the ground and were removed.