by the West Street Heritage Group for Futures Past Outside the Malago Pit after the explosion, drawing by Anton Bantock A  previous shaft accident had killed 5 miners on 9 August 1851, and a pit explosion on 31 August 1891 killed 10.  An inquest on the latter tragedy found that the habit of the miners using naked candles instead of gas lamps was the cause.  It didn’t mention that this practice was because the lamps had to be held, whereas candles could be fixed into the miner