The night shift began with the miners descending 600 feet to begin their work, at 5.40 am a large explosion followed by three smaller ones were felt on the surface. It was so powerful that the lamphouse close to the mines entrance was demolished by the force of these explosions.

Twenty one miners working below the surface managed to escape through the dense smoke having been in a separate area of the mine, the smoke billowed out of the entrance for hours afterward. It was at first unclear how many miners were trapped below ground as the list of workers that descended on the night shift was inside the lamphouse building that was now destroyed. It was impossible for rescuers to enter the mine and only by checking amongst the miners families could a count of those missing be completed.

During the next night two more explosions occurred further preventing any possible rescue attempts. It was clear that the fire was still raging far below and if the oxygen that fed the flames was extinguished so was any that could keep any possible survivors if any still alive. A hole was drilled into an area of the mine that could be the only location of any survivors.

Ten days after the first explosion and with no further sign of life it was decided to seal the mine, the bodies of the 78 victims remained inside with no hope of their bodies ever being retrieved.