Emergency crews have been called to an incident at a small mine in the Swansea Valley.

South Wales Police and Mid and West Wales Fire Service are at the Gleision Colliery, near Cilybebyll, Pontardawe.

The cause of the incident is yet to be determined.

South Wales Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service are at the scene.

The small drift mine is under a steep hillside and is tricky to get to.

The Post understands that nine miners are trapped, and that there may have been what has been described as an in-rush of water in the mine.

A major rescue operation is continuing after four miners became trapped by water in a small mine in the Swansea Valley.

About 50 rescuers are trying to free them from a ventilation shaft at Gleision Colliery near Cilybebyll, Pontardawe.

Two men escaped, and a third was taken to hospital. No details have been released about his condition.

Police said water had to be drained from the mine.

The Mines Rescue Team leader Andrew Watson said no contact has yet been made with the miners, who were trapped by water after they broke into an area of old mine workings.

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

Rescuers have taken in lights and pumps and are trying to work out how much water is there and whether it is getting deeper in the mine, which is near the River Tawe.

They are said to know where the miners were working but they do not know where they are now.

Supt Phil Davies said though there was water in the mine, there was nothing preventing access.

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

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

He said it was too early to say what had caused the incident.

"It's a very difficult circumstances for everybody, in particular the family and friends of those who are trapped," he added.

"The situation is changing on a regular basis."

Emergency services were called to the mine at 09:21 BST.

One miner who was rescued is in Morriston Hospital, Swansea, but his condition is not known.

A major operation to rescue four men is being hampered by water getting into the drift man where they are trapped.

Rescuers are focusing efforts on trying to pump water from Gleision Colliery near Cilybebyll, Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley.

No contact has been made with the miners, who became trapped by water after breaking into old mine workings.

Two men escaped and a third is at Morriston Hospital in a critical condition.

Neath MP Peter Hain said he understood that rescuers were using a parallel tunnel to pump oxygen into the mine while also attempting to pump water out.

Contact has still not been made with the trapped men but "minute by minute efforts were being made," said Mr Hain.

Andrew Watson, who runs the Mines Rescue Service and is co-ordinating the rescue, said it was believed the water levels were starting to recede.

He said: "The most essential bit of kit we've got is long-duration breathing apparatus and access to pumps which will remove the water out of the mine.

"The key with the breathing apparatus is to get people into the mine and getting information back to the surface so we can concentrate our efforts."

He said the amount of water in the mine was "unknown".

"We don't know the source of the water, all we know is the water is there and we need to remove it," he added.

I'd like to suggest, on behalf of those members of the forum with varying professional involvements in the field, that all parties refrain from speculative comments

Those very pictures being used by sky news
i hope the guy who sold them to them is the owner of the pictures !
!

A second miner has been confirmed as dead, as the search continues for two more men still trapped in a Swansea valley colliery.

The men became trapped 90m (295ft) below in the flooded Gleision Colliery near Pontardawe on Thursday morning.

Breaking News

A third miner has been found dead, police confirm.