Before the widespread use of natural gas and oil, coal was the pri ncial fuel used in industry and transportation. Although there were a number of factors behind Taiwan's industrialization, coal played an important role in the process. Taiwan has limited coal resources. Coal mining in Taiwan has a long history, but there were no large -scale production plans until the beginning of the First World War. Because coal mining is a labor-intensive industry, miners are an essential element of coal production. Safety conditions in Taiwanese mines were as bad as or worse than any in the world except China before World War II. The immediate causes of these most fatalities were floods, explosion s and tunnel collapses. Because major disasters rocked the industry with some frequency, the colonial government and media paid attention to the issues of safety conditions in mines. This article will mainly use and refer to The Taiwan Daily News to research the causes of coal mine accidents and the reactions among the Authorities, proprietors and the public opinion.