( CNN ) -- An explosion at the Massey Energy Co. mine in Montcoal , West Virginia , killed at least 25 miners . The cause of the explosion had not been determined as rescuers worked Tuesday to bore ventilation holes into the Upper Big Branch Mine . This is a chronological list of notable coal mine accidents in the United States over the last century . The list is not all-inclusive . * December 6 , 1907 -- Worst coal mine disaster in U.S. history : 362 miners are killed in an explosion at the Monongah Nos . 6 and 8 Coal Mines in Monongah , West Virginia . * November 13 , 1909 -- 259 miners are killed in a fire at the Cherry Mine in Cherry , Illinois . * October 22 , 1913 -- An explosion kills 263 at the Stag Canon No . 2 Coal Mine in Dawson , New Mexico . * June 8 , 1917 -- 163 miners are killed in a fire at the Granite Mountain Shaft Mine in Butte , Montana . * January 10 , 1940 -- 91 miners are killed by an explosion at Pond Creek No . 1 in Bartley , West Virginia . * March 16 , 1940 -- An explosion at the Willow Grove No . 10 mine in St. Clairsville , Ohio kills 72 miners . * March 25 , 1947 -- 111 miners are killed in an explosion at the Centralia No . 5 mine in Centralia , Illinois . * December 21 , 1951 -- An explosion at Orient No . 2 mine in West Frankfort , Illinois kills 119 miners . * November 20 , 1968 -- 78 miners are killed by an explosion at Consol No . 9 miner in Farmington , West Virginia . * December 30 , 1970 -- 38 miners are killed in an explosion at Nos . 15 and 16 Mines in Hyden , Kentucky . * May 2 , 1972 -- 91 miners are killed in a fire at the Sunshine Mine in Kellogg , Idaho . * March 15 , 1981 -- 15 miners are killed by an explosion at Dutch Creek No . 1 , Mid-Continent Resources , Inc. in Redstone , Colorado . * December 19 , 1984 -- 27 miners are killed in a fire at the Wilberg Mine in Emery County , Utah . * September 23 , 2001 -- 13 miners are killed by an explosion at the No . 5 Mine , Jim Walter Resources , Inc in Brookwood , Alabama . * July 24 , 2002 -- Nine coal miners from Quecreek Mining Inc. in Somerset County , Pennsylvania , are trapped in a four-foot-high chamber 240 feet below the surface after breaching a wall separating their mine from an older , flooded shaft . All survive and are rescued on July 28 . * January 2 , 2006 -- An explosion occurs at around 6:30 a.m. at the Sago Mine in Tallmansville , West Virginia , trapping 13 miners . Twelve of the men die from carbon monoxide poisoning by the time rescuers reach them around midnight January 3 - 4 . Randal McCloy , 27 , is the only survivor . * May 20 , 2006 -- Five miners are killed in an explosion at the Darby Mine No . 1 in Harlan County , Kentucky . One miner , Paul Ledford , survives . * August 6 , 2007 -- Six miners are trapped at the Crandall Canyon Mine in Huntington , Utah , when areas of the mine collapse . * August 16 , 2007 -- Three rescue workers are killed and six are injured when part of the mine collapses on them . * August 31 , 2007 -- The search for the six trapped miners is officially called off and declared too dangerous for continued rescue efforts . * May 8 , 2008 -- Rep. George Miller releases a report from the House Education and Labor Committee about the panel 's investigation of the Crandall Canyon Mine disaster . He recommends that a criminal investigation be conducted .
December 6 , 1907 -- The first commercial flight of a heavier-than-air machine was made by the Wright brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. March 25 , 1947 -- 111 miners killed in explosion at the Centralia No . 5 mine in Centralia , Illinois . December 30 , 1970 -- 38 miners killed in explosions at mines in Hyden , Kentucky . May 20 , 2006 -- Five miners killed in explosion at Darby Mine No . 1 in Harlan County , Kentucky .