THE DISASTER
HAPTON VALLEY
Burnley, Lancashire. 22nd March 1962

When the explosion occurred, Murray was filling coal at a point on the face about thirty yards along from the intake gate stable. He thought it was about 9.40 a.m. when he heard a sound like the bursting of a compressed air line. The air reversed but the normal direction of the current was quickly restored, and although there was a considerable amount of dust in the air he did not see any flame. The fillers along the face described in their own ways

Madden said he was flung over the conveyor and enveloped in 'swirling soot' which came rushing on to the face from the return end. He felt certain that the noise he heard was that of a shot being fired. Although he had never before experienced a firedamp explosion, he thought that it would produce a far large 'Bang'. Fisk sheltering in the return gate also thought the sound he heard was that of a shot being fired. He said he heard the shotfirer turning the key in the exploder immediately before and he naturally associated this with the event. So far as he could be expected to remember what happened in such circumstances. Fisk seems to have retained an impression that the blast came towards him from the face.

Pollard working on the floor dinting in the intake gate had just looked at his watch at 9.45 a.m. when he heard what he described as a thud and he and his mates Bradshaw and Chapman were enveloped in dust. The air reversed but it's normal direction was resumed very quickly. Pollard, whose evidence about the time of the explosion was confirmed by the recordings on the methane drainage chart, realised that something serious had occurred.

Bradshaw telephoned the surface the three men went into the intake gate on to the face. After going sixty yards along the face, Pollard realised that there had been an explosion, he immediately went back to a telephone and informed someone on the surface, probably B. Kennedy the acting manager. He rejoined his mates and together they made their way along the face and into the return gate doing all they could to comfort the survivors, while stretchers and first aid equipment were being brought. Although in the course of his search for survivors, Pollard was obliged to move some bodies, he distinctly recollects it was not necessary to move that of Halstead the shotfirer who was found face downwards with his head outbye, lying on debris in the vicinity of the ripping.

Mr. J. Holden, the engine driver at the cut-back, said at about 9.40 a.m. he attempted to 'inch' the haulage rope but after moving it very slightly it held fast. Some five minutes afterwards he was enveloped in dust and both doors in the cut-back were blown open.
Mr. R. McKenna, who was working in the cut-back at the time was sure Mr. D. Whitehead, who had been a deputy for many years and was now engaged on the supervision of fire-fighting equipment and stone dust barriers, was at the point in the main intake some two hundred yards outbye of James Bradley's junction when he felt the reversal of the air. He went to the cut-back where he was told on the telephone that something had happened in No.2 District. On going through the separation doors into the return, he tested for firedamp and estimated four per cent in the general body of the air. He then went up the intake along No.2 face and into the return gate giving what assistance he could.

The Boothstown Rescue Station's No.1 Team was practising at the nearby Huncoat Colliery and were summoned at 10.15 a.m. They arrived at the colliery 10 minutes later. The Station's No.2 Team arrived from the Rescue Station some 25 miles away at 11.10 a.m.

The No.1 Rescue Team was captained by Mr. L. Wheeldin and accompanied by
Mr. W. Rawstron, the Group Manager. They went into the pit by the surface adit at 10.35 a.m. They entered the main return airway at James Bradley's Junction where they found .006 carbon monoxide but no firedamp in the general body of the air. The ventilation was good and although there was no smoke or haze, there was a slight smell resembling that found after a fire. The team proceeded towards No.2 face by the return gate.

The No.2 Team captained by Mr. W. Sturgeon and accompanied by Mr. L. Hampson, the Rescue Station Instructor and Mr. E. Whatmore the manager of Bank Hall Colliery, went underground by the surface adit at 11.15 a.m. They travelled the main intake airway where they passed a number of stretcher parties, along the face and a short distance down the return gate, Sturgeon reported among, other matters that he had seen a shotfiring exploder on top of the retained debris near the return gate stable but he was not clear whether or not it was connected to the terminals.

Because of the relatively slight disturbance by violence and the absence of fire and the rapid dispersal of the afterdamp the affected area was re-entered very soon after the explosion. True to the traditions of the industry many willing helpers were immediately available to give first aid treatment including the administration of morphia to the injured. Very soon afterwards all the survivors were examined underground and further treatment given where necessary by the nursing sister and the Group Medical officer. The positions of those who died in the pit were determined by the rescue teams.