Table 1.
Underground coal mine disasters related to methane explosions and methane fires (examples) [9,10,11].
| Year | Country | Coal Mine | Cause of Explosion | Fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1887 | Australia | Bulli | Ignition of gas and coal dust | 81 |
| 1887 | Belgium | La Boule, Borinage | Methane explosion | 120 |
| 1914 | Canada | Hillcrest | Methane and coal dust explosion | 189 |
| 1914 | Japan | Mitsubishi Hojyo | Methane explosion | 687 |
| 1950 | China | Henan | Methane explosion | 187 |
| 1960 | China | Henan | Methane and coal dust explosion | 187 |
| 1972 | Zimbabwe | Wankie Colliery Disaster | Methane and coal dust explosion | 426 |
| 1991 | China | Shanxi | Methane and coal dust explosion | 147 |
| 2005 | China | Liaoning | Methane explosion | 214 |
| 2006 | Poland | Halemba | Methane and coal dust explosion | 23 |
| 2007 | China | Hanxi | Methane explosion | 105 |
| 2009 | Poland | Wujek (Śląsk) | Methane and coal dust explosion | 20 |
| 2009 | China | Heilongjiang | Methane explosion | 108 |
| 2014 | Poland | Mysłowice-Wesoła | Methane explosion | 5 |
| 2015 | Poland | Sośnica | Methane fire | 4 |
| 2016 | Poland | Murcki-Staszic | Methane explosion | 1 |