Miner's death raises new safety fears

UK Coal said the 49-year-old died after being trapped along with a fellow miner at the 800-metre deep Kellingley colliery following the incident.

The man who survived was trapped by his leg and was rescued by fellow miners working underground. Union officials said he was out of hospital and "doing OK."

UK Coal communications director Andrew Mackintosh said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had launched a full-scale inquiry, with investigators going into the pit overnight on Tuesday and today to examine the situation closely.

He claimed that initial inquiry had shown "no problems" with the coal seam or the equipment.

Mr Gibson's death on Tuesday night was the third at the Kellingley pit in four years.

Ian Cameron died at the colliery after an equipment failure in October 2009 and Donald Cook was killed in September 2008 in a roof fall at the colliery.

And UK Coal had to evacuate 218 workers from the mine last year after methane gas seeped into the area and ignited.

Mr Gibson's tragic death on Tuesday night is the fifth to strike the mining communities in a fortnight and has sparked serious concerns over the state of health and safety in Britain's mines.

Phillip Hill, Garry Jenkins, David Powell, and Charles Breslin died this month when Gleision colliery flooded.

Mr Breslin's funeral at Swansea Crematorium today was the first of the four who perished.

An investigation has begun into how the four miners died to ascertain the circumstances of the death at the privately owned mine.

Miners' union NUM and UK Coal issued a joint statement today to express condolences to Mr Gibson's family.

"Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Gerry during this tragic time," they said.

But NUM representatives insisted they would not rest until the facts and the circumstances of the death were established.

Former vice-president of the Yorkshire NUM Ken Capstick said events in recent years were "very, very worrying indeed in terms of safety."

He said: "We've prided ourselves on being the safest mining industry in the world and so it certainly needs some serious examination."

NUM north-east general secretary David Hopper said that there needed to be "serious reappraisal" of the mines in terms of safety.

"On top of this terrible accident and the tragic loss of life in Wales, it makes things look really desperate," he said.

"Safety should be paramount and we must never take our foot off the safety pedal."

Although Mr Hopper would not speculate as to reasons for the latest tragedy he told the Star that the safety record in the mining industry had declined considerably since privatisation of coal mining in 1993.

Unions and safety campaigner have warned that government plans to cut 35 per cent of the HSE's budget by 2015 - including reducing the number of inspectors - will seriously undermine the safety of workers.