COLLIERY DISASTER.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 11 May 1938, Page 5

COLLIERY DISASTER.

MANY DEAD IN TWO EXPLOSIONS. UNKNOWN NUMBER INJURED (By Telegraph -Press Assn .--Copyright) Received Midnight. . , LONDON, May 10. An explosion in the Markham colliery at Duckmanton as the night shift of 200 non was coming to the surface entrapped 123 and injured an unknown number, 35 of whom are in hospital. A second explosion at 8 a.m. led to a decision to seal up a section of the pit. Rescue brigades rushed to • the scene and 60 stretchers were taken to the pit bottom. It is feared that eight are dead.

DEATH ROLL MOUNTS TO TWENTY. SIXTY STILL ENTOMBED Received Wednesday, 12.17 a.m. LONDON, May 10. The explosion deathroll is 20, 60 are still entombed and 49 are in hospital. The rescue team totalling a hundred equipped with tubes of oxygen is working desperately aided by some of those y/ho were rescued. * Sobbing women and girls crowd the pithead, including Mrs. Grainger whose husband, son and two brothers-in-law are below. The husband narrowly escaped in the 1937 explosion when nine were killed. DEATH ROLL SEVENTY-TWO. BODIES TERRIBLY DISFIGURED.

(Received This Day, 10 a.m.) LONDON, May 10. The Markham colliery death roll is seventy-two, including Mrs. Grainger's son. The bodies are so disfigured that only one has hitherto been identified. SERVICE AT PITHEAD. HELD BY BISHOP OF DERBY. (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, May 10. With forty-five of the seventy-two .«taad still entombed in the galleries in the Markham colliery, the Bishop of Derby held a service at the pithead tonight. Some of the women and children have been at the pithead for twelve hours, hoping against hope. Among the ■dead are a father and his three Sons. Some of those rescued did not remember anything after the explosion and others were so dazed as not to-remem-ber their names.