Mauricewood Colliery disaster
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The Mauricewood Colliery Disaster, occurred at the Mauricewood pit, near Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland on 5 September 1889. A total of 63 miners were killed.[1] At the time the mine was owned by the Shotts Iron Company Ltd.
On 5 September 1889 at around noon sections of the wood lining of a ventilation shaft ignited and the ensuing fire spread to a nearby coal seam, making an escape on the 239m deep main shaft impossible.[1] At that time 70 men and boys were working underground, of which 63 died and 7 survived.[2] The underground fire took four days to extinguish. It was not until 16 March 1890 that all the bodies of the victims were recovered.