Third trapped miner found dead in flooded Welsh colliery

Rescuers hope remaining man of four trapped at least 300 metres from entrance to Gleision mine can be found alive A third body has been found at the Gleision colliery in south Wales, which was flooded in an accident on Thursday, police have confirmed. A second body had been discovered earlier on Friday afternoon. Rescuers hope the remaining man of four who were trapped at least 300 metres from the entrance to the colliery can be found alive. Chris Margetts, of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service had earlier said the first dead miner was found at the bottom of the main shaft and had evidently been trying to escape. The second was found where he had been working. The families of the men have been told, although their names have not yet been made public. There had been hopes that the men may have found an air pocket when the tunnels were flooded. Margetts described how difficult the search had been. “The water and oxygen levels are very good, but the issue now is debris,” he said. “We’re using seismic listening devices so that any noises are investigated.” He explained the progress the search and rescue teams had made, saying they had cleared the blockage to get to the main shaft. However, he warned that it was a slow process to search the “myriad” tunnels. “Access has been gained into the main shaft at the bottom,” he said. “We’ve cleared the blockage and we’ve got rescue crews that are able to enter and start searching the myriad tunnels and offshoots of the main shaft. “It’s slow progress – they have to dig through silt as they’re going because a lot of debris has been washed through the mine shaft. After the second body was found, the Neath MP, Peter Hain, said the events of the past few hours had made the “living hell” of the miners’ families even worse. He added: “This terrible situation has just got worse. However, the emergency services are doing a fantastic job in very difficult circumstances. “Their efforts are to be commended. There is a ray of hope in that there is no methane in the mine, and that air is circulating.” The Welsh secretary, Cheryl Gillan, expressed her sadness at hearing of the second death. Earlier on Friday, she had met the families of the miners who were trapped. “This is a distressing day for all involved, and I am extremely saddened to hear the news that a second death has been confirmed,” she said. “This tragedy has touched everyone in what is a very tight-knit community. Having just met the families, I know they take great comfort in the messages of support they have received from not only the UK but across the world. Our thoughts are with the families at this extremely difficult time.” Three men escaped from the mine after the accident, which happened when blasting work caused water to flow in the tunnels. Two were on the side of the blast closest to the main mine exit, while the third managed to crawl out through old mine workings. The four men who were trapped have been named as Phillip Hill, 45, from Neath, Charles Breslin, 62, David Powell, 50, and 39-year-old Garry Jenkins, all from the Swansea Valley. Police said emergency services were continuing a multi-agency rescue operation, while the men’s families were being supported by family liaison officers. Fresh rescue teams have been brought in to relieve crews that had worked for at least 12 consecutive hours. One of the miners who escaped is critically ill in hospital, while the two others who got out were largely unharmed and are helping with the rescue operation. The alarm was raised at the pit at around 9.20am on Thursday. An emergency centre has been set up within the community hall in the nearby village of Rhos to cater for the families of the miners. The Red Cross has delivered blankets and pillows to the centre. Wales Steven Morris Shiv Malik guardian.co.uk

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