Epitaph - Fire at the Coal Face

It was due to gas, and that gas was there due to inadequate ventilation. And if it was due to inadequate ventilation the management were culpable, and the company was being negligent.

– Brunner Mine disaster expert Brian Wood explains his theory about the cause of the explosion

The explosion at the Brunner Mine left 65 men and boys dead, a community grieving, and a nation wondering how such a thing could have happened. As the coal dust settled, a feeling emerged that safety had been compromised in the pursuit of profit.

– Presenter Paul Gittens on national shock at the disaster

Families of up to 12 children were left without a breadwinner. There was not a house in Brunnerton that wasn't in mourning.

– Presenter Paul Gittens describes the impact of the disaster

A young volunteer later wrote to his father that the rescuers were bid a final farewell as they entered the mine, as if they might not return alive.

– Presenter Paul Gittens recounts the aftermath of the Brunner Mine disaster