Gleision relatives wait for answers
Monday 17 September 2012
Printable
EmailThe families of four miners killed in the Gleision colliery disaster a year ago said today they are still waiting for answers over how their loved ones died.
Charles Breslin, Philip Hill, Garry Jenkins and David Powell died when the Swansea Valley mine flooded despite a desperate rescue operation.
A year on their families have spoken about their pain and ongoing grief.
South Wales Police investigated the incident and a file has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service, which is considering the evidence.
The mine's manager Malcolm Fyfield, who was himself injured but escaped through an old shaft, has been questioned on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
The privately run mine has been closed and its licence has been revoked.
Speaking to BBC Wales's Week In Week Out programme, the miners' relatives said they still did not know exactly how and why the men died.
Mr Hill's niece Hayley Phillips said: "There are still so many unanswered questions of how this possibly could have happened and ruin four lives and four families."
South Wales NUM leader Wayne Thomas said: "The NUM, like the families, want to know what happened that day.
"There are all sorts of questions which need answering and we hope there will be answers for the families."
He said the NUM would fight for compensation but he feared the process could take "years rather than months."
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