Golborne pit disaster anniversary

A procession made its way through Golborne to mark the 45th anniversary of the Golborne Mining Disaster. On March 18 1979, an underground explosion ripped through the coal face at Golborne Colliery, sending a fireball shooting through its 1,800ft deep tunnels. The blast was caused after a broken ventilation shaft led to a buildup of methane gas, which ignited after an electrical circuit test. Three men were killed instantly. Seven more who were rescued later died in hospital, as a result of serious burns and lung injuries. Only one man, 20-year-old apprentice Brian Rawsthorne, survived the accident. An inquest held in October 1979 returned verdicts of death by misadventure on the victims.