Thank God, it wasn’t more serious than that. I can still remember the community sense of helplessness and despair over the Sunshine Mine Disaster of 40 years ago. Still one of the most poignant memories of my childhood.
In the morning of May 2, 1972, a fire broke out in the Sunshine Mine. According to the US Mine Rescue Association, 91 workers died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning; 83 men were rescued, 81 on May 2 and two on May 9. The mine was closed for seven months after the fire, which was one of the worst mining disasters in American history and is the worst disaster in Idaho’s history. Today, a monument to the lost miners stands beside Interstate 90 near the mine.
From wikipedia