Miike coal mine explosion and disaster, Japan MITSUI COAL. HOLOINGS PTY LTO The Mitsui Miike coal dust explosion on 9 November 1963 was the second deadliest coal mining disaster in Japan. 458 miners were killed in the accident and twice as many were permanently injured. Monetary compensation was small. ‘Amemorial ceremony as held on 9 November 2013 t9 mark the Sth anniversary ofthe country's worst min accident inthe postwar era [3] Anexplocon in 1963 at the Miteui Mike coal mine in Oma, Fakuoks Prefecture, and Aro, Kumamate Prefecture thch used to bbe one ofthe country largert kad 458 workers. Another £38 suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, The mine, whichelosed down in 1997, was operated by Witsui Mining Co, On November 9, 1963, the explosion ocurred ina mine tunnel roughly 500 meters below the ‘ine ground:evel entrance The blat and ame caused roof fallin ‘many aeasinthe tunnels which then gulcl flled with carbon ‘monoxide. le was the worst postwar mine disaster. Lack of safety bprovelone te prevene coal ductors the sin case, Coal utes te ‘auze Coal dust explosion are the worst typeof explosion because there ea great amount ot carson monoxide producee, Aes raul of this, many mine workars continue to suffer From the long tam after effects of carbon monaxide poisoning even thay ae icky enough tobe rescued abe. ethane gas explosions create carbon monoxide nen the density ofthe oasis high, but if there not much gas Ris ‘more often than not dispersed inthe at. However, in coal ust ‘explosions the story ic avery different one. Coal ust, being ald thorthan 2 ge, doos not burn cmplately 2nd high-density coal «aust clouds can be Formed, Ths prevents adequate ar ulation, ‘ontibuting to the production of carbon monoxide. Even a col ‘dust explosion does nt spread throughout tha length and breadth oF the nine the reslling carbon manonde ges does infact spread in ‘his way and llth workers aro poizaned: The Miko mine expozion oF 1963 was an example ofthis. [1] Iewas common knowledge that tintsining the site clesn and making the sree most by watering ‘ould prevent sch explosions. These easy preventive measures had been n place ona routine basis However afters stronglabour ‘depute in 1960,the neuficenerummber ot aFety personnel crured by the employe’ productviy frst polly falled to take those measures. In 1955 coalasa primary eneray source provided 50 per ‘entof energy needs in Japan but after the le labour depute and rrine eclosion ehelavalcecraazes crapping to laa percent ay 1975, while the use of llincreased fom 20.2 to 72.3 per cat [1 ‘The accident was second werst in Japanese mining history and ane of the wort ever recorded inthe world, nd recutedina series of laweuits that dragged on until 1987, when ee reported that each oF the victim Families war awarded the madest sum of USS1,200 2],