1968 — March 6, Cargill Salt Mine Shaft Fire, CO² Asphyxiation, Belle Isle, LA   —     21

US House: “In 1968, there was fire in the Cargill salt mine in Belle Isle, La. Twenty miners died of carbon monoxide poisoning. One more succumbed to a massive skull fracture. There were no survivors on that shift. Neither the cause of the fire nor the point of origin was ever determined. A complete mine inspection had never been made by officials from the Bureau of Mines prior to the fire, although partial inspections had resulted in recommendations for safety improvement, but little corrective action. Firefighting equipment was lacking and mine rescue teams were not maintained by any of the salt mining companies in the area.” (p. 3 of 19)

United States House of Representatives. Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (Report No. 95-312, 95^th Congress, 1^st Session). Washington, DC: House, 5-13-1977, 19 pages. Accessed 5-12-2010 at: https://arlweb.msha.gov/SOLICITOR/COALACT/leghist1.htm