A Brief History
On April 26, 1942, the Benxihu Colliery an iron and coal mine in Liaoning, China, was the scene of a horrific accident resulting in the deaths of 1,549 miners, the highest death toll of any mining disaster ever.
Digging Deeper
Japan had invaded Manchuria in 1931 and began to exploit the natural resources and the people of the region. Using Chinese as slave labor, the Japanese military did not provide adequate food, clothing, medical care, and sanitation for the workers.
In miserable conditions, a huge coal dust explosion took place on April 26, 1942, triggering a massive fire in the mine. The Japanese in charge caused most of the deaths by shutting off the ventilation to restrict the fire, which suffocated workers unnecessarily.
Initially reporting 34 fatalities, the Japanese later admitted to over 1,300 deaths, with a final toll of 1,549 reported. The mine stayed open until 1945.
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Captivating History. Second Sino-Japanese War: A Captivating Guide to a Military Conflict Primarily Waged Between China and Japan and the Rape of Nanking. Captivating History, 2021.
Gale, Ryan. Mining Disasters. Apex / Wea Int’l, 2024.
The featured image in this article, a photograph, is now in the public domain in China because its term of copyright has expired.
You can also watch video versions of this article on YouTube.
