NEW ZEALAND DISASTERS AND TRAGEDIES
GLEN AFTON MINE, GLEN AFTON, HUNTLY, WAIKATO
SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 1939

Glen Afton is a village in the Waikato District in the northern part of the Waikato Region of the North Island of New Zealand. On the 24 September 1939 and underground fire broke out in the mine with the loss of eleven lives.

The - GLEN AFTON COLLIERIES ROYAL COMMISSION - reported on the cause of the underground fire which was found to have occurred in the said mine on the 24th day of September, 1939. There was an earlier fire at about 10 o'clock in the morning on Saturday, 23rd September, 1939. Two witnesses stated that at the time of this fire WILCOX the underviewer said, " This looks like a short," indicating his opinion that the origin of the fire had been an electrical short circuit. The report was of the opinion, however, that there was no justification for that assumption and reached the conclusion that the fire on Saturday morning was caused by a dropped cigarette or a naked light coming into contact with inflammable material. Subsequent examinations of the mine by several persons proved that the site of the fire on Sunday morning was the same as that of the fire on Saturday. In the reports opinion the only safe conclusion is that the Saturday morning fire was not properly extinguished, but revived and burned vigorously after work ceased in the mine for the day.

Also see THE DAY GLEN AFTON MINE TOOK ELEVEN LIVES.

Those who died were: