Mine Explodes in Deafening Blast

More than 30 Dead

Tragedy Transforms Mine into Hell

Officers Rushing in to Save Survivors

 

At around 10:30 a.m. on the 26th, a huge gas explosion accompanied by a deafening blast occurred at the Hashima Coalmine in Nishi-Sonogi District, Takashima Village. Deputy Manager Maruzo Ogawa, four engineers and 12 miners who were inside the mine at the time sustained serious injuries but were carried out. The mine is reported to be currently filled with toxic gas. Thus far, it has been determined that 20 have been seriously injured and seven have sustained lighter injuries.

 

• Dead: Mine safety assistant officer Mitsuru Iijima
• Missing: Mine safety officer Hatakejima and six others
• Seriously injured: Maruzo Ogawa and 20 others
• Lightly injured: Sanshiro Baba and six others

 

Receiving reports of the accident, Police Office Kitajima and Engineer Nakazawa from the Prefectural Safety Department, and Police Chief Hatakejima and others from the Umegasaki Police Department rushed to the scene to direct the search for the missing and to assist in the evacuation of the injured.

 

 

Sealed Wall Blown Away

Flames Shoot out from Shaft

Holding Back Tears, Survivors are Sacrificed

Mine Inundated to Extinguish Fire

 

Once again, tragedy has struck in western Japan’s proud center of coalmining – the Hashima Coalmine located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Nishi-Sonogi District, Takashima Village. The tragedy has already claimed one life, with seven others trapped at a depth of 2,000 shaku [600 meters]. Safe rescue of these miners is now believed to be almost hopeless. Additionally, the mine’s Deputy Manager Ogawa and 26 others were injured in the blast. The question is, Why did this accident have to happen? On Sunday the 24th, a mine officer spotted a small flame inside the No. 5 downward sloping shaft of the No. 4 tunnel. Following the discovery, the area was being sealed off to prevent a dangerous situation. However, because the flame could not be fully extinguished, the workers moved back further and started to construct a second clay wall to seal the area off. This task was completed by 8:00 a.m. on the 25th. At around 9:00 p.m. on the 26th, the second shift consisting of more than 30 officers and miners entered the area. At about this time, a blast tore through the clay wall with flames shooting out violently. Instinctively realizing that the mine was in imminent danger, Deputy Manager Maruzo Ogawa rushed to the scene with a group of officers and miners to reinforce the sealed wall that was in danger of collapsing. The group was working as fast as it could to secure the area when suddenly at 11:00 p.m. there was a huge explosion. Deputy Manager Ogawa who was directing the work became a casualty of this explosion. Hearing what had happened, the communication officer outside the mine immediately called the people around him and entered the mine to undertake a rescue operation. Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on the 27th and continuing thereafter at intervals of one to two hours, a total of about nine small explosions occurred. Because of the dangerous situation, rescue teams were unable to approach the site. Finally, the company came to the sad and tearful decision to sacrifice the survivors remaining in the sealed area by flooding the mine. The rescue operation will be later resumed after draining the mine.

 

 

Names of Victims

Casualties Reach 34

 

• Dead

Assistant Safety Officer: Mitsuru Iijima (45)

 

• Missing

Miner:  Yutaka Hata (44)

Miner:  Itaro Okawachi (44)

Miner:  Kageyuki Mukai (40)

           Miner:  Senroku Hikita (36)

              Miner:  Sueyoshi Nakashima (20)

              Miner:  金　丁頭 (Kim Jeong-du)(27)

              Miner:  Satojiro Tabuchi (27)

 

• Seriously injured

Engineers and Managers

Deputy Manager: Maruzo Ogawa (48)

Engineer: Haruzo Ide (41)

Assistant engineer: Kazuji Fujii (32)

Miner: Sanshiro Baba (38)

Miner: Kintoku Tsuruta (34)

Miner: Tadatoku Inoue (29)

Miner: Kisaburo Okawa (37)

Miner: 郭航出 (Gwak Hang-chul) (age unknown)

Miner: Gento Hisaki (25)

Miner: 黄　伊 (Hwang I)　(21)

Miner: 裵　文　陽 (Bae Mun-yang) (44)

Miner:   金　甲徳 (Kim Gap-deok)(42)

Miner: 裵 元伊　(Bae Won-i) (44)

Miner: 朴　命乙(Bak Myeong-eul)(21)

Miner: 朴　五福 (Bak O-bok) (23)

Miner: 張　義守(Jang Ui-su) (23)

Miner: 行應潤 (Haeng Eung-yun)　(24)

 

• Lightly injured

李　順伯 (Yi Sun-baek)　(33)

金　乙甲 (Kim Eul-gap)　(31)

Ichiro Arima (28)

Shigeru Nakajima (19)

Kichijiro Ueda (36)

Sukeichi Mukai (39)

 

Assistant: Matsunosuke Inoue (40)

 

 

Seven Deemed Hopeless

Action Awaits Arrival of Authorities of Mining Bureau

Manager of Nagasaki Mines Speaks

 

“We terribly regret what has happened. Recovery of the seven missing is now deemed hopeless. Immediately removing the bodies of the dead is extremely difficult. We will await the arrival of Engineer Arai of the Fukuoka Mining Supervision Bureau and take appropriate actions then. There are still flames inside the mine. Therefore, we will flood the mine first and remove the bodies after the mine has been drained.”

 

(March 27, Showa 10 [1935])