AN EXHIBITION marking the 60th anniversary of a Kelty pit disaster has been launched at Fire Station Creative.

In one of the most tragic days in the village’s history, nine local miners lost their lives and 11 were injured as a result of an underground explosion at the Lindsay Colliery on December 14, 1957.

Six men received Queen’s Commendations and certificates from the Carnegie Hero Trust for going back into the danger area to attempt rescues and their stories and descriptions of the incident are illustrated in photographs and reports.

Earlier this year, Kelty Community Council produced an exhibition of the village’s mining heritage which not only described the tragic events of six decades ago but paid tribute to the bravery of the rescuers and outline the influence coal had on the community.

After its success, they were invited to set up a further exhibition to commemorate the Lindsay disaster, which opened last Thursday at the Carnegie Drive venue in front of invited guests, included Mid Scotland Fife MSP, and former Lochs councillor, Alex Rowley.

He spoke of the “sense of community” that existed in Kelty at that time and how the disaster affected the whole village, which the community council’s Paul McDonald said remains to this day despite the loss of the coal mining industry and was something they were continuing to “promote and develop”.

The exhibition will run at Fire Station Creative – and at the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange – until January 7.

The annual service of remembrance for the Lindsay Disaster will be held at Kelty Community Centre tomorrow (Friday) at 7pm.