Race against time to save trapped miners

A huge rescue operation was under way last night in a race to rescue four miners trapped 300 feet underground in a flooded colliery in Wales.

Emergency services rushed to the scene after a 999 call was received at 9:21am yesterday from the Gleision Colliery near Cilybebyll in Pontardawe, Swansea.

On arrival at the mine, they found two men had managed to haul themselves to safety but one man had to be rescued.

He was taken by air ambulance to Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where his condition was described as “critical”.

Andrew Watson, mines rescue team leader, said no contact had been made with the four miners, who were believed to be in a ventilation shaft.

They are thought to have got into difficulties after flood water burst in from old mine workings.

Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said the whole of Wales was praying that the miners would make it out alive.

Yesterday evening, cave rescue specialists and members of the UK mine rescue service were using four high-volume pumps to reduce water levels in order to send divers down.

Chris Margetts, from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said emergency crews were very “hopeful and optimistic” the miners could be freed successfully.

“What we have determined is the miners are located approximately 90 metres underground.”

He said they had already identified several areas they wanted to search as soon as they could get access.

“We are quite confident there are lots of areas down there where these miners can be safely housed.

“Speaking to the miners themselves that work the collieries, they know where the water goes, they know which direction to go, they know where the pockets of air are in the air shafts.

“They’re miners, they work underground, they do not panic in these situations.

“They are mentally and physically equipped to deal with this situation. They are experienced miners, they know the layout of the mine, they would know where to go in this situation.”

He said they were pumping the water out and, once they were in a position to search off the main shaft, they would then look through the smaller tunnels and shafts.

He added: “The conditions down there are favourable, it’s not raining. There’s water at the bottom but the air supply is good. We are not overly concerned about the atmospheric conditions in the mine.”

Earlier yesterday there were reports of the previous owners of the mine racing to the scene with plans to advise rescuers where air pockets would be.

Superintendent Phil Davies described the situation as a “dynamic” rescue situation.

Miners from the Midlands and Nottingham also travelled to the scene to help.

Family and friends were directed to a community centre in Rhos, a village a few miles from the scene, where police family liaison officers provided them with updates.

Many messages of support have been received, including from past and present members of the Welsh rugby team.

Supt Davies said emergency services were involved in what he described as a “difficult rescue operation”.

He said: “There is not a blockage issue in the mine, it is a water issue which we are currently trying to drain.

“We are dealing with a difficult rescue operation but we are doing everything possible.”

Arthur Threlfall, who serves on Cilybebyll Community Council, described the situation as “very worrying”.

“This is the first mining disaster I have known for many years,” he said. “There are not many collieries left like there used to be. However, it is a very worrying situation and it has shocked a lot of people.”

Supt Davies said a full investigation into the circumstances would be jointly undertaken by police and the Health and Safety Executive when the situation was resolved.

The small hillside mine has been in operation since 1993. Coal is worked from under a steep hillside cut into the side of a steep hillside by the banks of the River Tawe.