Today marks 70 years since the Knockshinnoch Disaster, a mining accident in New Cumnock which claimed the lives of 13 men.
Around 7.30pm on September 7, 1950, a lake just under the surface of the ground, filled with liquid peat and moss, collapsed and flooded a pit at the Knockshinnoch Castle Colliery, trapping 135 men underground.
The miners were trapped down the pit, with the peat sludge fast approaching. Rescuers worked round the clock to get to the men before the sludge did and before the air quality declined to lethal levels.
Three days after the collapse the majority were rescued, though thirteen men sadly lost their lives and were not recovered from the mine until months later.
Below is video footage of a news report on the disaster from British Pathe.
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