Date | 1930–1935 |
---|---|
Location | Gauley Bridge, West Virginia |
Coordinates | 38°07′20″N 81°07′42″W / 38.12222°N 81.12833°W |
Cause | occupational silicosis |
Deaths | 476 to 1,000 (estimated) |
The Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster was a large-scale incident of occupational lung disease in the 1930s as the result of the construction of the Hawks Nest Tunnel near Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, as part of a hydroelectric project. This project is considered to be one of the worst industrial disasters in American history.[1]