 General view of the colliery, the scene of the disaster, The Illustrated London News | |
| Date | 12 December 1866 |
|---|---|
| Time | 13:15 |
| Location | Hoyle Mill, Barnsley, Yorkshire, England. |
| Coordinates | 53°33′10″N 1°27′05″W / 53.5529°N 1.4513°W |
| Type | Coal mine disaster |
| Cause | Explosions |
| Deaths | 361, including 27 rescuers |
The Oaks explosion, which happened at a coal mine in West Riding of Yorkshire on 12 December 1866, remains the worst mining disaster in England. A series of explosions caused by firedamp ripped through the underground workings at the Oaks Colliery at Hoyle Mill near Stairfoot in Barnsley killing 361 miners and rescuers. It was the worst mining disaster in the United Kingdom until the 1913 Senghenydd explosion in Wales.