Four men feared trapped in Swansea Valley mine

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A rescue operation is under way after four men became trapped in a drift mine in the Swansea Valley.

They are stuck in a ventilation shaft at the Gleision Colliery, near Cilybebyll, Pontardawe.

South Wales Police, alerted to the incident at 0921 BST, said three other men had earlier escaped from the colliery, one of whom is in hospital.

The local authority has called an emergency meeting and have involved the Mines Rescue Service.

BBC Wales reporter Nicola Smith said nine members of a rescue team and 12 members of an urban rescue and search team were have been called in.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: "Seven people were initially in the mine at the time, three of them got out - with one taken to hospital.

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"It is believed the other four remain inside. A rescue operation is under way. As you can imagine, it is quite a dynamic situation."

Local councillor Arthur Threlfall, who serves on Cilybebyll Community Council, said: "I understand the injured man was taken to hospital via helicopter.

"The mine is in quite a remote spot. At the moment you cannot go anywhere near it because a large area around it has been cordoned off by the police."

He added: "Gleision is one of those collieries that has open and shut many times, and they tend to work on the basis of when coal is found. However, it has recently been extended.

"This is the first mining disaster I have known for many years. There are not many collieries left like there used to be.

First Minister Carwyn Jones is being kept fully aware of what is happening at the mine.

Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan commented: "I am receiving regular updates from the Police Services and I will be praying for the safe rescue of all involved."


Map showing area where the mine is
Expressing his deep concern, Neath MP Peter Hain said: "This is one of a number of small mines in the area. Obviously the families will be deeply worried."

Meanwhile, Neath AM Gwenda Thomas said the point of the contact for the area is Rhos Community Centre where those affected can talk to police and specialists.

Although most mines in south Wales are now closed, there are pockets of small-scale collieries still in operation.

Gleision Colliery, in operation since 1993, works coal under a very steep hillside above the banks of the river Tawe.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14933069

[JoeyB]

Ah coal mining, the great blight of the Welsh countryside.

Hope those guys can be rescued.

[deebakes]

Can't believe the bad luck those peruvians have :(

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ffs dee :lol:

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Trapped miners: One of four at Gleision Colliery dead



One of the four miners trapped 90m (295ft) below ground in the Swansea Valley has been found dead, police say.

Rescuers had been trying to reach the men in the flooded Gleision Colliery near Cilybebyll, Pontardawe for nearly 24 hours.

The trapped miners are Charles Breslin, 62; David Powell, 50; and Garry Jenkins, 39, from the Swansea Valley; and Phillip Hill, 45, of Neath.

Police said the identity of the dead miner is not yet known.

He was found by rescue crews in a very deep part of the flooded mine earlier on Friday, but they have so far been unable to recover his body.

Families and friends who are at the nearby Rhos community centre have been informed of the news.

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The rescue operation to find the other three miners is continuing.

Chris Margetts, from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said the dead miner was found on the "exit side of the body of water" and that it was "quite possible the team has been split".

Emergency services said they had not given up hope of finding the other three men alive and hope they have found their way in to an air pocket on the other side of the water.

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“
Start Quote

I've spoken to the families who are going through a small kind of hell”

Peter Hain
Neath MP
The dead miner was found in an area of the mine near the exit where three other miners were able to escape on Thursday.

Two were largely unharmed and are helping the rescue operation.

The third is critically ill in an induced coma in Morriston Hospital, Swansea, after escaping as the flood water engulfed the drift mine when a retaining wall holding back a body of water underground failed on Thursday.

The alarm was raised at 09:21 BST on Thursday and members of the Mine Rescue Service, together with specialist divers, helpers from all over the country and the fire service, have been working through the night.

They were forced to abandon their attempt during the night after debris made the water too murky.

Fresh rescue teams were brought in on Friday morning to relieve crews who had worked strenuously for at least 12 hours straight.

An expert listening device, which can detect movement deep underground, is the among the specialist kit being used.

Excavation process
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

I've spoken to the families who are going through a small kind of hell”

Peter Hain
Neath MP
Mr Margetts said it was a very "delicate" operation as care had to be taken not to damage the structure of the mine. But he said the water levels are receding. Pumps are continuing to remove water from the mine and oxygen is being pumped in.

He said the rescue crews have now gained enough access to get teams down in wetsuits to start the excavation process.

They are continuing to pump out water, excavating the blockages and shoring up the tunnels.

"It is slow and it is steady, but as we're aware with previous incidents, these incidents take time," he said. "We need to do it properly.

"Everyone is working very hard, we just need a little bit of luck."

Neath MP Peter Hain is at a community centre, along with First Minister Carwyn Jones, where relatives of the trapped miners gathered overnight.

"I've spoken to the families who are going through a small kind of hell," he said.


Rescuers at Gleision Colliery on Friday morning
"What's been made worse is that as has been reported, a miner has been found dead but we don't know who it is. It's almost worse than not knowing and our hearts go out to everybody - the families in the community centre and their relatives in the community.

"This is a very serious tragedy, the like of which we have not known in these valleys for a long time."

First Minister Carwyn Jones has arrived at the community centre at Rhos where family and friends are gathered.

Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said: "I am extremely saddened to hear that one of the miners has been found dead. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families at this distressing time."

The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, who grew up in a village close to Cilybebyll, and is the son of a miner, is also going to the community centre.

'Thoughts and prayers'
He said: "My thoughts and prayers are with the trapped miners and their families.

"I understand the anguish they are going through and I know they will draw strength from the community which is now enveloping itself around them."

He said the road to the church in the village is closed to allow emergency traffic to get through but the church hall in nearby Resolven is open for people to pray and light candles.

Gleision Colliery, in operation since 1993, works coal under a very steep hillside above the banks of the river Tawe.

It is a small drift mine working a coal seam from the Rhondda in a remote location cut into a hillside in the Swansea Valley.

Access to the mine is down a narrow lane on a very steep hill above the banks of the river Tawe.

It's different from the classic image of a coal mine, reached by a shaft.

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A second miner has been confirmed as dead, as the search continues for two more men still trapped in a Swansea valley colliery.

The men became trapped 90m (295ft) below in the flooded Gleision Colliery near Pontardawe on Thursday morning.

They are: Charles Breslin, 62; David Powell, 50; Garry Jenkins, 39; and Phillip Hill, 45.

Rescuers have found no methane and oxygen levels have been reported to be good.

Police said it was still an "ongoing search and rescue operation" but the families were in a situation of "extreme grief".

The body of one miner was located in a very deep part of the flooded mine at Cilybebyll earlier on Friday in the early hours and has now been recovered.

Another body has now been found.

Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan told BBC Wales news website reporter David Dulin at the scene that she will be calling a civil contingency meeting in the cabinet office.

She said the prime minister David Cameron had been in contact while on his way back from Libya.

Neath MP Peter Hain there was some relief after rescuers discovered there is no methane down below and oxygen levels are good in the area where it is hoped the men have scrambled to.

But he said: "We still don't know where the trapped miners are.

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this isn't looking good now :rip:

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14949286

:rip: the 3rd is found dead

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14955526

all now found dead :rip:

[MrsM]

:rip: sad :(

[redred]

it's not been nice watching this unfold all day and the fact that around this time a year ago the Chilean mining accident was happening

[Muddy]

Mining is scary ass work...

[deebakes]

:rip: dudes ...

[Southern Belle]

So sad. Mining is dangerous and it's heartbreaking to think about getting killed trying to make a living.

[Southern Belle]

My mother in law's church holds a memorial for children who were killed in the Silkstone Mine in South Yorkshire. It was due to flooding as well.