Benxihu Colliery Mining Disaster 1942

In 1942, the Benxihu Colliery in Liaoning, China, became the site of the deadliest mining disaster in history. A gas and coal-dust explosion tore through the mine, sending flames shooting from the shaft entrance. The mine, run by Japanese administrators using Chinese forced labor, quickly descended into chaos.

In a desperate move to control the fire, the administrators cut off the mine's ventilation-trapping 1,518 Chinese laborers and 31 Japanese staff underground. Most died from carbon monoxide poisoning, while others succumbed to burns or suffocation. It took ten grueling days to retrieve all 1,549 bodies.

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