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united states mine rescue association
Mine Disasters in the United States
Ten Worst Mining Counties
Also Examine the Ten Worst Mining States
Rank County and State Total
Disasters
Total
Killed
Deadliest Accident
1 Luzerne County, Pennsylvania 61 785 Avondale  (110)
2 Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania 34 256 York Farm  (15)
3 McDowell County, West Virginia 23 477 Bartley No. 1  (91)
4 Jefferson County, Alabama 22 597 Banner  (128)
5 Pittsburg County, Oklahoma 16 406 Osage No. 11  (100)
6 Las Animas County, Colorado 15 433 Hastings  (121)
7 Fayette County, Pennsylvania 13 212 Naomi  (34)
  Franklin County, Illinois 13 389 Orient No. 2  (119)
9 Fayette County, West Virginia 12 388 Layland No. 3  (115)
  Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania 12 155 Price-Pancoast  (73)
Ten County Totals 221 4,098  
A mining disaster is defined as an incident with 5 or more fatalities.  Unofficially, the USMRA database includes 78 accidents, each resulting in four fatalities, which can be found listed here.  We make no claim that these are the only accidents having 4 deaths that have occurred.  Source: MSHA Fatality Archive Database.


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