? All four trapped miners confirmed dead
? Bodies recovered but formal identification to take place
? Rescue operation now one of investigation
Here's a closing evening summary of events at Gleision colliery which has gone from hopeful rescue mission to the sad news that all four miners are now confirmed dead.
? South Wales police have confirmed that all four miners have died. Phillip Hill, Charles Breslin, David Powell and Garry Jenkins, four highly experienced miners, were in a flooded tunnel a little over 3 feet high, 295 feet below ground, before they lost their fight for life.
? All four bodies have been recovered but formal identification has yet to take place. Three of the miners' bodies were found where they had been working, which officials said probably indicated that they had died before the rescue operation.
? One of the three miners to have made it out of the tunnel is still in hospital.
? The rescue operation has now become one of recovery and investigation.
? Emergency team chiefs and politicians have joined in praising the emergency services and for the support of the community, which had suffered "a stab to the heart". Families who had been through a torturous night are now being left to grieve.
Bitterly disappointed rescue workers have been leaving the scene.
Prayers will be said across churches in Wales this Sunday for the four miners and their families who died at the Gleision colliery.
Archbishop of Wales Barry Morgan, whose father had been a miner, said the tragedy had moved the whole of the UK.
There was a time when there were mines across Wales, and with them came accidents. We thought that those days were long gone, but sadly the events of the past two days showed that is sadly no longer the case.My father was a miner and I knew first hand about what a tough and dangerous job it was, and still is.
My heart goes out to the families of those killed in Gleision Colliery.
Prayers will be said for them in churches across Wales this Sunday and I am sure people will continue to offer their support.
And an image that captures the grief of the Welsh community, which has been praised for its coming together. Peter Vaughan, chief constable of south Wales police said they had received support from not only Wales, but from all over the world.
A picture from the press conference earlier where the news was delivered that all hope for the trapped miners had been lost.
Peter Hain, who is MP for Neath, has been incredibly human in his words and sentiments over what has happened in Wales. He has also been tweeting thoughts that he made earlier.
A stab through the heart of these communities. This is the end we all feared
Rescue workers have been superhuman in dangerous conditions deep underground
Thanks for all the messages of solidarity and support for the community over the last 2 days
Guardian south-west reporter Stephen Morris has just tweeted this:
Gleision colliery#southwales Feels time to leave the people of the Swansea Valley in peace. They have been welcoming, patient, dignified
As rescue turns to investigation, some have begun to speculate on the causes of the mining accident.
One question asked was whether the wall was breached by a blast in the wall.
Mining consultant Stephen Barnett has been speaking on Sky and says that it was possible that a rockfall was caused after water innundated the mine. The water, he says, would not have been flooding from rainfall.
Despite the efforts of rescue workers, it is likely the miners stood not chance once the water flooded into the mine.
But he urged caution, saying that only the investigation would reveal what really happened to cause the accident.
"The source of that, the cause of that ... will all be part of the investigation."
Cheryl Gillan, secretary of state for Wales, has been speaking about the families.
This has been a truly devastating day for the families of Charles, Garry, Phillip and David who have so tragically lost their lives.
Their families told me that the unstinting compassion and support they have received from their friends, the local community and volunteers has been of great comfort to them.
I saw first-hand the selfless and tireless work of all the emergency services and specialist rescue teams from across the UK.It has been an incredibly difficult and dangerous process, but one that they have carried out magnificently. We must thank them and everyone who has been involved in this tragic event. It has touched the hearts of everyone, not just in Wales, but across the country.
As the families grieve for their loved ones we will do everything we can to support them, to identify how this terrible incident occurred and to learn lessons for the future.
More from Richard Smith, chief fire officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue, on the rescue effort:
I'd like to express my gratitude to all the rescuers on the scene throughout the last two days, led by the fire and rescue service and my officers and then the rescue teams have worked tirelessly to try and achieve a good outcome.
Unfortunately those efforts have proved to fall a little bit too short.
Ambulance and fire officers have all expressed to me that within 30 years of service they've never actually seen such conditions and worked in such conditions that they've had to over the last two days to try and bring this to a satisfactory conclusion.
Around 200 separate emergency teams involved in the rescue operation. Now leaving the area.
Katie Stallard at Sky has been describing the relentless pace of rescue efforts: cars skidding, people running over to scene with plans of mine under their arms and the son of one miner, who had himself escaped the mine, directing rescue workers.
"It's been very tough, we've worked very hard. We're very disappointed in the outcome,"
one fireman simply said.
Praise too for the community from first minister Carwyn Jones who have showed incredible support, down to making cups of tea.
While those at the press conference said they would be waiting for the results of the investigation, from what they had found it was unlikely that any of the miners would have survived.
They praised the "superhuman efforts" of the rescue teams who had worked with confidence that they would find the miners alive.
"Nobody tried harder or better, under the leadership of Phil Davies [from south Wales police]"
While the bodies of all four miners have been recovered from the mine, formal identification has not yet taken place.
Peter Hain has also described a heartbreaking moment as one wife waited for news of her husband last night:
"The wife of a miner sitting in a hall. Just sitting there still. With a slight tear falling down her face. But at the same time thanking me like I needed to be thanked. She needed the support."
Peter Vaughan said all four miners "were found in close proximity to each other."
He said the first miner found was found on the exit side of the blocked part of the mine.
He said the other three were "all found together in the area where they'd been working."
Peter Hain paid tribute to the "extraordinary courage" of the miners families. He said they had been through a "torturous time through the night" waiting for news of their loved ones. And as the bodies were found, not knowing which family they came from.
He said it had been "a stab through the heart of the community". "We can't imagine what they've been through.
Moving and sombre words from the line up of those who were in charge of the rescue operation.
Peter Vaughan also joined with the Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones, Peter Hain MP and Richard Smith, from mid and west Wales Fire and Rescue.
South Wales chief constable Peter Vaughan says: "The conclusion we have is the one none of us wanted. We now move from a search and rescue operation to an investigation."
Press conference from the emergency services has begun.
Any hopes for the last miner being found have been dashed as confirmation that the fourth trapped miner is dead.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has also been speaking about the colliery tragedy. He said that while he welcomed the government's promise of a review, the time now was to think about the miners and their families.
Tonight and the coming days were a time to think about the men but also the "bravery" of all those involved in the dangerous occupation of mining.
Jo Adetunji taking over from Shiv for the evening.
The situation for the families of the miners continues to worsens as south Wales police a third miner has been found dead.
David Cameron has just given a brief statement on what he called "a desperately, desperately sad situation for everyone concerned."
The prime minister said he had talked to the Welsh first minister and MP for the area, Peter Hain.
He said that "everything that could be done is being done" but hope was fading fast.
He finished by saying it there would be "desperate sorrow for those families concerned."
A press briefing is expected at 6pm ? in about 10 minutes.
The previously mentioned Seumas Milne article on the dangers of Welsh mining back in the 90's is now posted in full here.
My colleague Hannah Waldram has put together this public twitter list of those reporting and commenting on the continuing rescue operation.
Wales's first minister Carwyn Jones has also issued a statement:
My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with all of the families as this horrifying news filters through.
I would like to pay tribute to the tireless work the rescue teams have done and continue to do throughout this incident.
The people of Wales, and indeed people across the world stand together in solidarity with the families through this terrible tragedy.
From the twitter account of the Welsh Government comes this statement:
The people of Wales, and indeed people across the world stand together in solidarity with the families through this terrible tragedy.
As promised earlier, here is the video footage of the second police and fire rescue press conference from 13:30.
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Guardian journalist on the scene Steve Morris says that police have not been able to formally identify the body that has been removed from the mine because the process is taking some time to organise. He also understands that the two other bodies remain in situ and they cannot yet be identified until retrieved from the mine.
Here is a mid-afternoon round up of the rescue mission that started so hopefully this morning but has turned into a real tragedy.
? South Wales police have now confirmed that three miners have been discovered dead.
? The body of only one miner has been recovered from Gleision colliery. Formal identification of the three bodies is yet to take place but families in nearby Rhos community centre have been informed about rescuers' suspicions.
? Rescuers believe that the first dead miner they discovered had been trying to escape and that the second miner was found dead where he worked.
? Debris from inside the collapsed mine section has been cleared. Attempts to rescue the last trapped miner continue.
? Further police updates are confirmed for later this evening.
A third press conference has been set for 6pm but it may be brought forward to confirm the discovery of the third body.
My eagle-eyed colleague Hannah Waldram has pointed me towards this Storyful which displays a variety of social media links connected to the miners tragedy.
The discovery of a third miner's body is now being reported by news agencies, the BBC and has been confirmed by police. Rescuers still hope that the fourth miner will be pulled alive.
The body of a third miner has been discovered according to our correspondent on the ground Steve Morris
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PA is reporting that Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan has expressed her sadness at hearing of a second miner's death. Earlier today, she met the families of the miners affected by the incident.
This is a distressing day for all involved and I am extremely saddened to hear the news that a second death has been confirmed.
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 as they anxiously await news about their loved ones.
I would like to pay tribute to the efforts of the whole community and organisations such as the Red Cross and the WRVS who have pulled together to provide valuable comfort to all concerned.
This is an active, ongoing, highly professional operation, involving all emergency services.
Their hard work and round-the-clock efforts are ensuring that everything possible is being done.
I have assured the families that across Government we have worked to ensure that the rescue services have all the support they need.
We will have video of the 1:30pm press conference soon but in the mean time here is a link to the BBC who have a short clip up already.
A harrowing feature from the Guardian's archive by Seumas Milne on the dangers of Welsh mining after privatisation. It is dated 10 Feb, 1994 so unfortunately we can't link to it directly but here is an extract.
On Friday nights in the Welsh valleys, miners go from pub to pub hunting for their employers to claim unpaid wages. Pay cheques bounce, mining companies close and re-open under other names, men are sacked for being union members or refusing to work on Christmas Day.
In some pits, miners get no basic minimum and are only paid by the tub of coal produced. Underground, they stand in streams of water, hacking at the face with picks and shovels. Wooden roof props, phased out in publicly owned mines 40 years ago, are standard.
Pit ponies haul rusting carloads of anthracite back and forth from the face. On the surface, there are no showers. The coal owners are back with a vengeance. This is private mining in 1994: the promised future of the British coal industry....
Last year, the fatal accident rate in privately owned mines was 23 times that in British Coal collieries.
Government health and safety officials advise caution when comparing the public and private safety records because the smaller numbers in private mining can lead to sharp fluctuations in the fatality figures. So it seems fair to mention that the death rate in private mines was only seven times as high the year before.
One man who fell victim to the new cost-cutting coal owners was Phillip Rees, a 32-year-old miner electrocuted at the Blaengrennig colliery in the Amman valley just over a year ago.
"The manager called me up and asked if this boy was one of my members," recalls Anthony Jones, the local National Union of Mineworkers official in charge of private mines.
"I said I'd have to look in my records. It's just there's been a bit of an accident, he told me. I said I'd come right over anyway. He was dead when I got there. They didn't even know where he lived."
Whilst @kmflett notes the silence at the SWALEC stadium during the cricket match between India and England
Silence at SWALEC for Swansea Valley miners....
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More tweets of sympathy. Sarah Brown sends this:
Heartfelt sympathy for the Welsh miners and their families today
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My colleague Paddy Allen has now got a brilliantly updated version of the interactive showing the mine's layout and where the miners are understood to be trapped.
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Chris Margetts of South Wales Fire Service who was also speaking at the press briefing had some better news about the rescue and reports that rescuers have progressed deeper into the mine system.
Access has been gained in to the main shaft at the bottom.
We've cleared the blockage and we've got crews, mines rescue crews, that are able to enter and start searching the myriad of tunnels and off-shoots off the main shaft.
It is slow progress they have to dig through silt etc because of a lot of debris has been washed through the mine shaft. Unfortunately at 12:15 this afternoon we located a second miner.
He added that they were continuing to search other areas of the mine.
This is the full statement from South Wales police's supt Phil Davies on the tragic death of a second miner at Gleision.
The miner that was found deceased has now been recovered from the scene.
A second miner has been found and tragically he was also deceased. All families have been informed.
No formal identification has been made at this stage so no identities will be disclosed at this time.
From us all, all our sympathy goes out to the families in what is incredibly difficult situation.
I will reiterate the fact that this is still and ongoing search and rescue operation and all emergency services are fully committed to getting those miners out as soon as possible."
The families are in extreme grief.
A second miner has been found dead. Police have said that the body of the miner declared dead this morning has now been recovered.
A tweet from Sky news correspondent Tom Parmenter from @TomSkyNews on the situation in Rhos where the miners' families are.
#Miners - some family members leaving the community centre - someone just told me atmosphere is "just unbearable"
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PA has reported the moment below like this:
A number of rescue workers, wearing orange overalls and with blackened faces, were seen walking away from the police cordon just before 1pm. They were later followed by a lone ambulance, which drove away from the scene.
Sky news is reporting that the ambulance has now departed the scene. It is thought to be carrying the body of the deceased miner though this has not been confirmed.
An ambulance has arrived at the mine head. We are expecting a press conference at around 1:30.
Another update from the Guardian's Steve Morris who says that there is an "amazing" community spirit around the rescue operation.
Local people are sending toys into the community hall to amuse the children waiting for news of their relatives. The pubs are throwing their doors open to rescue workers, even to journalists.
I came to the Pontardawe Inn a mile or so from the community centre in Rhos and they tried to give me free food and drink.
If you have not seen it already here is our photo gallery of events including one of the entrance of the mine.
An interesting tweet from Radio Five live's @markhutchings1 who says that the dead miners body has been recovered:
Body has been recovered. Relatives being informed. Search continues for other three miners. #minerescue
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Local MP Peter Hain, who is getting very regular updates from the emergency services has said rescue workers have recently discovered there is no methane in the mine.
The the fire service has given our correspondent Steve Morris a clearer picture of the situation inside the tunnels and how the miners came to be trapped.
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The men walked 250m down a tunnel from the mine entrance, then turned left at a 90 degree angle into another tunnel around 150m long. They were working 50m along this second tunnel.
A blast caused water to pour into the tunnel. The water filled the tunnel from the blast site to the right angled bend and a little way down the first tunnel. It is believed that three of the men had been sheltering from the blast back in the first tunnel.
Two of them managed to escape. A third did not make it and his body was found overnight by rescue worker in the water. A third man managed to make his way out through old workings running roughly parallel to the first main tunnel.
The three men who remain unaccounted for are believed to be in the tunnel past the blast site. Rescue workers have not been able to get past this blast site yet and do not know what lies behind it. They hope the men have found air pockets either in the tunnel or in workings off it.
Jason Evans police & crime reporter for South Wales Evening Post tweets from his account @EvansTheCrime this link to the plans of the mine showing how much of a warren they are:
#Swansea Valley mine latest: Planning map showing the labyrinth of tunnels at the mine twitdoc.com/HO3
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Facebook pages are appearing online. One, entitled Pray for the Trapped Swansea Valley Miners at Gleision already has over 6,000 supporters.
There is a second here called the Hope Page for Gleision Colliers which says that the page is for "anyone wishing to leave well being messages for the families and friends of the Gleision coal mine".
South Wales Police has a dedicated phone line for those who are concerned relatives have been involved. The number is 01792 555565
We also have a video here of the events from last night's rescue mission.
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Steve Morris has an update to clarify why police are as yet unable to identify the dead miner. This is because rescue divers haven't been able to recover the body yet so can't know who it is.
(Note: Steve is the gentleman in the green jumper standing behind Supt Phil Davies in the video of the press conference below )
My colleague Paddy Allen has created a very informative interactive of events including an internal graphic of the mine here.
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Here is the video of the press conference from 8:30 this morning in which supt Phil Davies from South Wales police said that tragically, one miner had been found dead.
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Elfed Godding, national director of the Evangelical Alliance Wales which represents 20 denominations has urged the country into prayer:
This is a shocking event and our thoughts and prayers are with the miners and their families. Wales has a long tradition of mining and coal miners have always occupied a special place in the hearts of the nation. My own father and both my grandfathers were miners, and I'm sure virtually every Welsh family has some association with this industry.
I would urge everyone in Wales today to spend a few moments praying for these men and their families, asking that they might know hope and peace in their terrible ordeal.
PA is reporting that one of the four men who failed to get out of the mine yesterday before it completely flooded is the father of one of those who managed escaped.
This just in from our on the ground reporter Steve Morris who has some details on how the miners' families are coping. He also says there is some better news from rescuers concerning the three miners still trapped behind flood waters and debris.
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The miners' families were told the terrible news at the community centre in Rhos, two miles from the mine. Most close relatives had stayed together at the hall. Blankets had been brought in for them and meals on wheels had delivered hot dinners to them.
The families were told individually that one body had been killed but not yet identified. Witnesses in the hall said there were tears and hugs.
Peter Hain, the Neath MP, said one mother had told him it would have been better to hear "whatever the news was straight up". Being half-told made it all the harder to bear.
The positive news is that the rescue workers are confident they are getting closer to where they need to be.
They have reached the area where blasting caused the water to pour into the shaft. The challenge they have now is getting past a ''blockage" debris caused by that blasting.
Huge numbers of workers and equipment continue to be brought up to the mine - a lorry loaded with scaffolding planks just went by.
Rescue workers continue to be positive, hoping the three men still lost have managed to find an air pocket in the myriad of tunnels cut into the mountainside.
The Gleision colliery is a very old mine which has had disaster strike it before. In 1909 there was a very similar incident to Thursday's when water from the abandoned Ynysgeinon pit rushed in killing five miners. Then, the age of the two youngest deaths was just 14 years old according to the historical website Welshcoalmines.co.uk.
The news wire service PA has put out a timeline of events:
Thursday
? 0920 South Wales Police officers, along with fire and ambulance crews, are called to the colliery after four people were trapped. Seven people were initially in the mine at the time, three of them got out - with one taken to hospital. The families gather at Rhos Community Centre where they are kept informed.
? 1300 As the news breaks, a police spokesman describes the rescue operation as "a dynamic situation".
?�1500 Superintendent Phil Davies says emergency services are conducting a "difficult rescue operation".
?�1700 It emerges that the miner who was taken to hospital is in a "critical condition". Mr Davies also says water is ingressing into the mine.
? 1800 Shadow Welsh secretary Peter Hain Hain says the situation is "desperately serious" after talking to the families of the trapped men who are his constituents.
? 1820 Chris Margetts of South Wales Fire Service says he is "very hopeful and optimistic" that the four miners can be rescued. He says the miners have been located approximated 90 metres underground down a 250 metre (820ft) main route into the mine. Rescuers cannot communicate with the trapped men.
?�1945 David Cameron says "every support" would be given to emergency services adding that his "thoughts are with those missing and their family and friends".
?�2130 Missing miners are named by South Wales Police as Phillip Hill, 45, Charles Bresnan, 62, David Powell, 50, and Garry Jenkins, 39.
? 2230 Labour leader Ed Miliband says: "All of us will be watching, waiting and hoping for a successful rescue."
Friday
? 0400 - Rescuers say divers have been forced to return above ground and abandon their efforts after about 30 metres.
? 0420 - It emerges that a team from Sure Wave Technology, based in Cheshire, is brought in to detect movement deep underground. Fresh rescue teams are also brought in to relieve colleagues who have worked for at least 12 hours non-stop.
? 0620 Mining engineer Frank Russell says he is "very, very positive" about the outcome of the rescue operation and added the experienced miners "know what to do to keep themselves safe and warm".
?�0830 Police say the body of a miner has been located but has yet to be identified. All the families have been told. Chris Margetts, from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, says 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".
The twittersphere is full of messages of sympathy and support for the miner who has been discovered dead at Gleision colliery.
@Ceri_Granv writes: Terrible news from the Swansea Valley this morning. All my thoughts are with the miners and their families at Gleision Colliery.
@welsh37 posts: Sad day one of the swansea miners has died, my thoughts are with their family.
@alicat21 writes: Thoughts with the miners families. They must be experiencing a living hell. Tragic
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Messages of sympathy from local MP Peter Hain and also the current Welsh secretary over the death of one miner who has yet to be identified.
Hain who is at the scene said:
I've spoken to the families - they've gone through a small hell. What's been made worse, as has been reported, a miner has been found dead but they don't know who it is so you can just imagine what they are going through.
It is almost worse than not knowing - knowing a bit but not knowing exactly and our hearts go out to everybody.
Sky news has reported that David Cameron has rung Hain to ensure that the rescue teams are getting everything they need to free the remaining three miners.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan has also offered her condolences:
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.
I know that the emergency services have been working extremely hard. I am being continually updated and my thoughts are with all involved as they continue to manage this most difficult situation.
More from that press conference. Chris Margetts, from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said this about the circumstances of the dead miner and where he was found.
The search and rescue continues. Obviously we've had the disappointing news of discovering one of the miners [dead].
The miner that we found was in a different section of the mine. He was basically on the exit side on the body of water. So therefore the search and rescue mission continues because there are still air pockets on the other side of the body of water and there is a blockage down there yet to be searched.
So it is quite possible under the circumstances that as the incident has occurred, the team has split. And depending on where they were located, which is the best route to take and the miner we have found so far has obviously tried to make it up to the main exit where two the guys did make it out and unfortunately he hasn't made it.
Speaking to the Today programme, Gary Evans of the south and mid Wales cave rescue team described the situation down in the mines for the divers attempting to get to the three trapped miners.
He said he had been working until 2:30 this morning and his description gives a flavour of how difficult the rescue is.
These divers are amazing in what they can do. They were travelling in zero visibility and they made progress without any real difficulty but it was the debris in the water that prevented them from gaining further access to the tunnel....they couldn't get beyond the flooded section
Really the things about the mines is there is not a lot of room down there. And all the emphasis in about pumping that water out.
Right now it is very noisy there's people back and forward trying to make sure the pumps are working and certainly the conditions I was in it was very difficult, pitch black water, very cold. So not a great place to be working but there is a job to be done there.
A police press conference has revealed that one miner has been found dead. Police do not yet now the identity of the body.
Superintendent Phil Davies told reporters at the scene: "A miner has been found. He is deceased. We are not in a current position to recover him from the mine and therefore we don't know the identity of that person.
"This is a dynamic, ongoing search and rescue operation and all emergency services are working hard to get all the miners out of there as soon as possible."
Good morning. Welcome to our live blog of the rescue operation to save four miners who are currently trapped in a Welsh mine after flood waters broke through to the mine system from an old abandoned shaft.
? One miner has been reported as dead.
? The incident began on Thursday morning and the trapped miners have been named as Phillip Hill, 45, from Neath, Charles Bresnan, 62, David Powell, 50, and Garry Jenkins, 39, all from Swansea valley.
? Last night divers had to abandon their efforts after about 30 metres due to the hazardous conditions of the water.
? Local MP Peter Hain and shadow Welsh minster said "The fact that they have been trapped for so long is very, very disturbing," he said.
? We are expecting a news conference shortly.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2011/sep/16/trapped-welsh-miners-rescue-operation-live
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