Faux News Coal Mine Collapse Short Story

Yesterday in Newbottle, Tyne and Wear, the Newbottle Colliery suffered from a great roof collapse. In this tragic accident, over 6 dozen have fallen dead and 32 were injured. When covering the scene of this tragedy last night, what we saw was horrifying. Not only did we see the roof of the mine all broken and collapsed, but we witnessed the terrible conditions these coal miners have to work in. Many dangers existed including collapses, flooding, explosive gas leaks ignited by sparks from the miners pickaxes or candles, and falling down shafts. Along with all of these external dangers, many internal dangers existed in the miners. Many miners suffer from black lung. This is because of breathing in all of the smoke and dust from mining and separating the coal form the rocks. Due to the high demand for coal, these miners, no matter what age, are forced to dig deeper to find more coal. These working conditions are hot, have poor ventilation and are very cramped. These tunnels barely fit the miners, causing for them to have to work hunched over on their hands and knees. Tunnels are also very unsturdy, most of the time only held up by wood and collapses very easily. Explosions, also know as fire damps, are another common hazard. These explosions are caused by natural gas found underground called methane gas. As mentioned before, the gas is ignited by sparked from a miners pickaxe or even form the flame of their candle. Fire-damps are very common in underground mines leading to many deaths. Lung and respiratory problems are also seen in many of these coal miners due to smoke and dust inhalation. The stuffy air and lack of ventilation also contributed to these medical issues. Another existing danger in the mines was flooding. The roofs of the mines are very weak so when it rained they collapse and flood easily. The tunnels are small and cramped giving the miners nowhere to escape if the tunnels flooded. On the occasion that the tunnels don’t flood, water leaks through the walls and roof causing the miners to have to work in wet clothing all day long. Along with all of these dangers they have to face every day, the miners are paid very little money. They are expected to work on average 14 hour days with very few, short breaks in between shifts. The dangers and harsh working conditions are not only present in the Newbottle factory but are also seen in many other factories across Britain today.

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