>Mortee at 16:31, 26 March 2021

2021-03-26T16:31:10Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox news event
| title = Chasnala mining disaster
| image_name =
| image_size =
| caption =
| date = {{start date|1975|12|27|df=y}}
| time =
| place = [[Dhanbad]], Bihar (now Jharkhand)
| coordinates =
| also known as =
| cause = Water from adjacent mine gushed after the wall in between collapsed
| reported deaths = 375
| reported injuries =
| reported missing =
| reported property damage =
| burial =
| inquiries =
| inquest =
| coroner =
| suspects =
| accused =
| convicted = 2 (in 2012)
| charges =
| verdict = 1 year imprisonment and Rs. 5000 fine each
| convictions =
| litigation =
}}
The '''Chasnala mining disaster''' was a disaster that happened on 27 December 1975 in a coal mine in [[Chasnala]] near [[Dhanbad]] in the [[India]]n state of [[Jharkhand]]. An explosion in the mine followed by [[:en:Flooded mines|flooding]] killed 375 miners.

== Accident ==
The disaster was caused by an explosion at 1:35pm that weakened the wall between the mine pit and another, abandoned mine above it that was full of water.<ref name=Bobb /><ref name=Ashutosh>{{cite news |last1=Ashutosh |first1=Anil |title=Chasnala mine disaster victims remembered |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Chasnala-mine-disaster-victims-remembered/articleshow/17792691.cms |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=The Times of India |date=28 December 2012}}</ref> By one estimate at the time, around {{convert|110|e6impgal|m3}} of water flooded in, at a rate of {{convert|7|e6impgal|m3}} minute.<ref name=Bobb>{{cite news |last1=Bobb |first1=Dilip |title=Bihar Chas Nala colliery disaster: 372 coal miners buried alive |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19760115-bihar-chas-nala-colliery-disaster-372-coal-miners-buried-alive-819019-2015-02-18 |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=India Today |date=15 January 1976}}</ref> Other reports put the total amount of water at {{convert|30|to|50|e6impgal|m3}}.<ref name=Ashutosh /><ref name=40years>{{Cite news |url = https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/chasnala-40-years-later-memories-of-a-flooded-mine-recede/ |title = Chasnala, 40 years later: Memories of a flooded mine recede|date = 2016-01-22|work = The Indian Express |last=Pandey |first=Prashant |access-date=2016-03-20}}</ref> The miners were killed by debris, drowning, and the force of the flood.<ref>{{cite web |title=This Day In History - Dec 27 - Coal mine explodes in India |url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coal-mine-explodes-in-india |website=History.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310053317/https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/coal-mine-explodes-in-india |archive-date=10 March 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> By the time bodies could be recovered, they were typically identifiable only by the number on their lamp helmets.<ref name=40years /> The first body was recovered 26 days after the accident occurred.<ref name=Ashutosh />

With a death toll of 375, Chasnala was India's deadliest [[mining accident]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dash |first1=A. K. |last2=Bhattacharjee |first2=R. M. |last3=Paul |first3=P. S. |title=Lessons learnt from Indian inundation disasters: An analysis of case studies |journal=International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction |date=December 2016 |volume=20 |pages=93–102 |doi=10.1016/j.ijdrr.2016.10.013}}</ref>

== Investigation and consequences ==
The Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO), which owned the mine, said it conformed to international standards. Miners blamed management negligence. There was also concern that the barrier between the two mines had been unsafely thin and that there was inadequate safety equipment. In particular, the mine had no high pressure pump.<ref name=Bobb /> Instead, pumps had to be brought in from Russia and Poland to try to remove the water.<ref name=Ashutosh />

[[Ujjal Narayan Sinha]], the former Chief Justice of the [[Patna High Court]], was appointed to investigate the circumstances of the disaster. He submitted his report on 24 March 1977. Consequently, four IISCO officials were prosecuted for negligence. By the time the case was decided in 2012 (37 years later), two of them had died. The surviving officials, manager Ramanuj Bhattacharya and agent, planning and group security officer Dipak Sarkar, were each sentenced to one year's imprisonment and a fine of ₹5,000. They were released on bail and had a month to appeal.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mishra |first1=Law Kumar |title=A year in jail & fine for Chasnala accused |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/a-year-in-jail-fine-for-chasnala-accused/articleshow/12301252.cms |access-date=26 March 2021 |work=The Times of India |date=17 March 2012}}</ref>

A memorial to the dead (Shaheed Smarak) was built outside the mine entrance and moved to a park in 1997.<ref name=Ashutosh /><ref name=40years />
== In popular culture ==
The film ''[[Kaala Patthar]]'' depicts the tragedy.<ref name=40years />

== See also ==
* [[2018 Meghalaya mining accident]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{coord missing|Jharkhand}}

[[Category:Coal mining disasters in India]]
[[Category:1975 in India]]
[[Category:Mining disasters in India]]
[[Category:History of Jharkhand (1947–present)]]
[[Category:Disasters in Jharkhand]]
[[Category:Dhanbad district]]
[[Category:1975 disasters]]
[[Category:Mining in Jharkhand]]

Chasnala mining disaster - Revision history

>Mortee at 16:31, 26 March 2021