[a] Colliery manager Arthur Rushton reported that when some distance away he heard a rumble and saw a cloud of dust rising from the pit shaft.

The head gear was largely destroyed and the fan house, which provided ventilation, was badly damaged.

[4] Rescue parties were organised immediately and led by the general manager John Knowles.

After two days, attempts to locate survivors and recover bodies were abandoned when fire broke out underground.

[5] The inquests started three days after the explosion, but were adjourned as more bodies were recovered and were not completed until 8 July the following year.