Durnacol

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{One source|date=August 2008}}

{{Infobox settlement

| name = Durnacol

| pushpin_map = South Africa KwaZulu-Natal#South Africa

| coordinates = {{coord|28|03|S|30|01|E|region:ZA|display=inline,title}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = South Africa

| subdivision_type1 = Province

| subdivision_name1 = KwaZulu-Natal

| subdivision_type2 = District

| subdivision_name2 = Amajuba

| subdivision_type3 = Municipality

| subdivision_name3 = Dannhauser

| subdivision_type4 = Main Place

| subdivision_name4 = Dannhauser

| established_title = Established

| leader_title = Councillor

| area_footnotes = {{cite web |url=http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/526054002 |title = Sub Place Durnacol |work=Census 2011}}

| area_total_km2 = 22.02

| population_footnotes =

| population_total = 3233

| population_as_of = 2011

| population_density_km2 = auto

| demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011)

| demographics1_footnotes =

| demographics1_title1 = Black African

| demographics1_info1 = 88.6%

| demographics1_title2 = Coloured

| demographics1_info2 = 2.2%

| demographics1_title3 = Indian/Asian

| demographics1_info3 = 4.5%

| demographics1_title4 = White

| demographics1_info4 = 4.3%

| demographics1_title5 = Other

| demographics1_info5 = 0.5%

| demographics_type2 = First languages (2011)

| demographics2_footnotes =

| demographics2_title1 = Zulu

| demographics2_info1 = 87.8%

| demographics2_title2 = English

| demographics2_info2 = 6.8%

| demographics2_title3 = Afrikaans

| demographics2_info3 = 3.1%

| demographics2_title4 =

| demographics2_info4 =

| demographics2_title5 = Other

| demographics2_info5 = 2.3%

| timezone1 = SAST

| utc_offset1 = +2

| postal_code_type = Postal code (street)

| postal_code =

| postal2_code_type = PO box

| postal2_code = 3082

| area_code_type = Area code

| area_code = 034

}}

Durnacol is a small suburban town in the central part of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The name is an acronym for Durban Navigation Collieries, a mine that was opened at the turn of the 20th century. The mine mainly produced coking coal{{cite book | last =Campbel | first =Gwyn | title =The Indian Ocean Rim | publisher =Routledge | year =2003 | url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Ra4jGa7bW1gC&dq=Durnacol&pg=PA168 | isbn = 0-7007-1344-1 | page =168 }} for the shipping industries, but later the coal was used in the smelting of iron. At the height of its activity, some 5000 people worked at the mine. The mine ceased production activities in 2000. At present, the area of the mine property is being rehabilitated and is being managed by the local municipality. Many of the mining company's houses have been sold to individual owners.

A methane explosion at Durban Navigation Colliery on 8 October 1926 killed 124 miners.{{cite journal|url=https://www.natalia.org.za/Files/18/Natalia%20v18%20article%20p41-58%20C.pdf|title=Commercial Coal-mining in Natal: A Centennial Appraisal|work=Natalia|volume=18|date=1988|access-date=31 December 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/54874233|title=Colliery Explosion. Caused by Spark. Many Bodies Recovered|date=12 October 1926|work=The Register, Adelaide|access-date=31 December 2024}} It is the worst mine explosion in South Africa's history.{{cite thesis|url=https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/bitstream/10539/17313/1/Landman%20G%20V%20R.pdf|title=Ignition and Initiation of Coal Mine Explosions|first=Gysbert Van Rooyen|last=Landman|publisher=Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg|date=1992|access-date=31 December 2024}}