Long-term eff ects of carbon monoxide poisoning at Miike coal mine: A 33-year follow-up study

Abstract

On November 9, 1963, during the afternoon shift change at the Miike coal mine, eight rail cars filled with coal broke free and fell 360 meters [1]. The impact ignited coal dust in the mine and set off two explosions, killing 20 people immediately and trapping nearly 1,400 other workers up to 450 meters below the surface and 8 kilometers from the mine entrance. The explosion damaged electrical and telephone lines, but the ventilation fan continued to operate and spread carbon monoxide throughout the mine [1].