Four UK miners killed in flooded mine

Four coal miners in south Wales have been confirmed dead despite an extensive search and rescue operation.

Rescue services were called to Gleision coal mine, a small drift mine about 10 miles (16 km) north of Swansea in south Wales, on the morning of Thursday 15 September. Initial reports relayed that four miners were trapped due to flooding in the underground mine, though three had managed to escape and were receiving hospital treatment.

Divers attempted to enter the mine the following morning, but were forced to turn back. Shortly after, the body of one of the miners was found. The three remaining bodies were recovered by early evening. Rescue teams confirmed that the four miners were trapped by an inrush of water after breaking into an old and presumably disused area of the mine.

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that the mine was well-regulated and that no safety concerns had been reported prior to the disaster.

Gleision coal mine, which opened in the 1960s, is a small operation mining anthracite coal. It employed eight people and was estimated to produce a few hundred tpw of anthracite.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/mining/19092011/four_uk_miners_killed_in_flooded_mine/