To provide a thermal hydrocracking process for coal whereby hydocarbon gases, including methane, and hydrocarbon liquids, including BTX, can be produced in high yields, the initial equipment cost can be reduced; and heat supply is not required and hence a high thermal efficiency is achieved.

In a process for producing gases, tar, and char by quick thermal decomposition of coal, hydrogen gas is mixed into a high-temp. gas generated by the gasification of coal, char, and carbonaceous materials with oxygen; coal is blown into a gas atmosphere having an increased hydrogen concn.; and quick heating and thermal decomposition of coal is carried out in an air stream layer. A part of thermal decomposition gas is purified into hydrogen gas and recycled to a thermal decomposition reactor 1 to maintain the hydrogen concn. in the atmospheric gas of thermal decomposition at 30% or higher.