The Konyu Cutting (Hellfire Pass) was once part of the Death Railway during World War II. It is a 73 m long and 25 m high rock cutting done by hand from Australian and British POWs. They started in April 1943 and finished the cutting 3 month later. Another cutting was 450 m long and 8 m depth. The POWs were forced to work up to 18 hours a day. At night the cuttings were lit by carbide lamps, bamboo bonfires and torches filled with diesoline. The eerie light and the shadows of the gaunt POWs playing on the cutting walls suggested the name the site would later be given – Hellfire Pass. A few machines were available to help but the bulk of the work at Hellfire was carried out by 3.5 kg hammer and tap men, using steel drills and hammers. In July 1943 the cutting was completed. At least 63 men were beaten to death during the construction of the pass and many more died from starvation, dysentery and cholera. More than 70% of the POWs died while the construction of the Death Railway.
Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum
The Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum is located some 80 km north-west to Kanchanaburi on Highway 323. It is maintained by the Australian Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of the museum is to honor the Allied POWs and Asian conscripts who died while the construction of the Death Railway. It shows impressive how and why POWs worked at the nearby Hellfire Pass during WW II. A 4-5 hours walking trail leads you along the way of the Death Railway.