Since 1883, more than 21,000 miners have died in West Virginia coal mines. Many of these deaths were single accidents, but some were major disasters. A disaster is when three or more miners are killed. The first major one happened in 1886, killing 39 miners. The worst in U.S. history was at Monongah (pictured) in 1907, where at least 361 miners died.

In the early 1900s, as coal production grew, so did deadly accidents, often caused by unsafe practices like using open flames near methane gas. Many victims were immigrants and African Americans, new to mining and often working the most dangerous jobs.

Tragic accidents continued through the 20th century, including explosions at Benwood (1924), Everettville (1927), and Bartley (1940). Even after safety laws improved in the 1960s, disasters still happened, such as the Farmington explosion in 1968, which killed 78 and led to stronger federal safety laws.

Disasters didn’t end. In 2006, 12 miners died at Sago Mine, and in 2010, 29 died at Upper Big Branch, the worst disaster in 40 years. In total, West Virginia has seen 119 mine disasters, showing how dangerous coal mining is—even with safety improvements.