DHANBAD — 1975 · Major Tragedy
Chasnala Mining Disaster
On the afternoon of 27 December 1975, an explosion at the Chasnala coal mine near Dhanbad weakened the wall between the workings and a flooded, abandoned mine directly above. Millions of gallons of water poured into the galleries within minutes, trapping the miners inside. Official figures put the dead at between 372 and 375; unions argued the true number was higher. The blast was thought to have been caused by methane ignited by sparks from equipment. Recovery took weeks because suitable pumps to drain the water were not available. Chasnala remains one of the deadliest mining accidents in Indian history and inspired the 1979 film 'Kaala Patthar'.
- Date
- 1975
- Place
- Chasnala, Jharkhand, India, Dhanbad, IN
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 23.6500, 86.4700 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 27 December 1975An explosion breached the wall to an old flooded mine; the pit flooded.
- January 1976For lack of pumps, recovering the bodies took weeks.
- 1979The disaster inspired the film 'Kaala Patthar'.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Chasnala mining disaster en.wikipedia.org ↗
- WorldAtlas — Worst Mining Disasters In Human History worldatlas.com ↗
- BYJU'S — This Day in History: Chasnala Mining Disaster byjus.com ↗
- Wikipedia
- WorldAtlas
- BYJU'S
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.