Abercarn colliery disaster

51°38′51″N 3°07′53″W / 51.64750°N 3.13139°W / 51.64750; -3.13139

Abercarn colliery disaster
black and white photo of a coal mine and the surrounding buildings
Prince of Wales Colliery in Abercarn
Date11 September 1878 (1878-09-11)
LocationAbercarn, South Wales
Deaths268 men and boys
VerdictExplosion caused by firedamp ignition
AwardsAlbert Medals of the First and Second Class to rescuers

The Abercarn colliery disaster was a catastrophic explosion within the Prince of Wales Colliery in the Welsh village of Abercarn (then in the county of Monmouthshire), on 11 September 1878, killing 268 men and boys (though an exact number of casualties remains unknown). The cause was assumed to have been the ignition of firedamp by a safety lamp. The disaster is the third worst for loss of life to occur within the South Wales Coalfield.[1]

  1. ^ "Abercarn Colliery - Welsh Coal Mines". Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2013.