The mining accident in Benxihu, China, remains one of the deadliest\nmining disasters in history. For a time, the true scale of this mining\naccident was even subject to attempts at concealment.<\/p>\n
According to the official Benxihu website and the Huashang Morning\nPost, this tragic event is known as the Benxihu coal mine tragedy. The\ndevastating incident occurred on 26 April 1942.<\/p>\n
The Benxihu mine was a shaft mine featuring various mining tunnels\nand was managed by the Japanese at the time.<\/p>\n
On that day, more than 2,000 miners had entered the shaft before dawn\nfor a 12-hour work shift.<\/p>\n
At approximately 11:30, a disturbance occurred at the surface\nelectrical substation, causing the entire mine\u2019s power supply to be cut\noff.<\/p>\n
By 14:00, power was restored. Management first diverted electricity\nto the ventilation fans at the mouth of the shaft, and ten minutes\nlater, power was supplied to the underground mining areas.<\/p>\n
Immediately, a massive explosion occurred, throwing workers about and\nreleasing thick smoke from five inclined shafts.<\/p>\n
Following the explosion, the Japanese management closed the\nventilation to the underground areas to prevent fires and to protect\nequipment and coal reserves within the mine.<\/p>\n
Japanese rescue teams deployed to the site prioritised the evacuation\nof Japanese officials and officers, ignoring the Chinese labourers who\nwere moaning in pain along the tunnels.<\/p>\n
As a result of the ventilation closure, the mine tunnels became\nfilled with toxic carbon monoxide (CO) gas. Most workers did not die\nfrom the direct impact of the explosion, but rather from carbon monoxide\npoisoning while attempting to escape the shaft.<\/p>\n
Death Toll Reaches Over 1,500<\/strong><\/p>\n The death toll from this mining accident reached 1,549 people, 1,518\nof whom were Chinese nationals.<\/p>\n The victims included both civilians and prisoners of war, who had\nbeen forced by the Japanese to serve as \u2018special labourers\u2019.<\/p>\n Japanese management initially attempted to cover up the true figures,\nrecording only 1,327 deaths on the mass grave monument\n(Rouqiufen\/Wanrenfen).<\/p>\n An official investigation conducted one month later proved that the\nJapanese authorities had committed errors and had lied regarding the\nexplosion. The sanctions imposed were merely a reduction of one-tenth of\nthe annual salary for officials in the company\u2019s coal department. This\ntruth only emerged many years later through the testimony of historical\nwitnesses, specifically Chinese technicians involved in the\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n The disaster site now comprises two main historical landmarks: the\nCentral Inclined Shaft and the Rouqiufen Mass Grave.<\/p>\n The entire complex has been designated by the Chinese Government as a\nNational Important Cultural Relics Protection Unit and has been\ndeveloped as a memorial park and industrial history museum.<\/p>",
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