Mining is considered to one of the dangerous industry. Its predominant use has always been used in producing heat energy. It was the basic energy source during the 18th and 19th centuries industrial revolution. The Benxihu colliery accident happened April 26, 1942 is considered to be worst mining accident in the history. Honkeiko is another name of colliery in Japanese. A fire broke out killing 1,549 miners.
The Japanese invaded the liaoning area in the 1930s, and during the sino-Japanese war and forced Chinese labourers to work in mines. Conditions in the mines were worse. Safety protocols were not much better than any other working conditions. The fire accident started off with a coal dust explosion or other dust made of flammable material which is a deadly phenomenon by itself. If air is saturated with fine particles, excessive hear or flame source can create a rapidly traveling explosion in an enclosed area which builds enormous pressures and damages structures rapidly. At the time a quick decision had to be made by the Japanese mine operators to mitigate the accident being more critical and hence they sealed the mine leaving thousand of people inside. The Soviet report states the most deaths were of carbon monoxide due to the closing of ventilation and sealing of the pit head after the initial explosion. Due to the conditions at the mine and the raging World war and lack of initial publicity no lessons were learned about the tragedy in the immediate aftermath.
The prevention measures that could be taken around that time to mitigate the mining disaters could be using large fans to circulate air in mines to provide ventilation in the working areas. This fans operate to dilute the methane in the air to well below explosive levels. Monitors can be installed to check the dust and methane particles in the air and can remove the gas prior to mining by drilling drainage holes. Applying water sprays could cool and limit the toixc gases in the air. When explosion occurs limestone can be used by spreading throughout the mine workings as limestone absorbs the heat generated from the explosion or either will stop the chain reaction or could also reduce the intensity of the explosion.
References
- https://www.britannica.com/event/Honkeiko-colliery-mining-disaster
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benxihu_Colliery
- https://www.mining-technology.com/features/feature-world-worst-coal-mining-disasters-china/