:00:03. > :00:06.Welcome to Wales Today, not far from Gleision Colliery where,
:00:06. > :00:14.tonight, a major rescue operation is underway to try and free miners
:00:14. > :00:18.trapped underground. Police say every effort is being
:00:18. > :00:27.made to try and rescue them from a flooded cavern. Four men are still
:00:28. > :00:33.underground. Three others managed to escape.
:00:33. > :00:36.It is a difficult rescue situation, it is dynamic. There is water
:00:36. > :00:40.within the mind which is something we are trying to drain at this
:00:40. > :00:46.moment in time. Families and friends have been
:00:46. > :00:49.gathering at a local community centre, desperate to hear any news.
:00:49. > :00:58.The First Minister says a "Gold Command" meeting has taken place
:00:58. > :01:06.and specialist teams have arrived to help from across the UK.
:01:06. > :01:16.My thoughts and prayers are with those who laugh at the moment
:01:16. > :01:24.
:01:24. > :01:28.trapped in the mind in the Swansea Good evening. A major rescue
:01:28. > :01:30.operation is underway tonight here in the Swansea Valley. We're in
:01:30. > :01:38.Cilybebyll near Pontardawe at Gleision Colliery where, just above
:01:38. > :01:41.me, four miners are trapped underground. The team trying to
:01:41. > :01:47.rescue them say they're trapped by water but, at the moment, they
:01:47. > :01:57.don't know where they are. Three other men, who were also trapped,
:01:57. > :01:58.
:01:58. > :02:01.managed to escape. One is in a critical condition in hospital.
:02:01. > :02:07.They are trapped 90 metres underground. But they have been
:02:07. > :02:11.trapped by water. We have been told there are pockets of air which are
:02:11. > :02:15.leading offer that shaft and that is where we are told the miners are
:02:15. > :02:25.making their way to. But they have not had contact with the emergency
:02:25. > :02:43.
:02:43. > :02:45.Tonight, the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, says the priority of the
:02:45. > :02:49.Assembly Government is to ensure they're rescued as quickly as
:02:49. > :02:59.possible, safely. Specialist teams have arrived to help from across
:02:59. > :03:01.
:03:01. > :03:05.the UK. As you can see, there is a number of police vehicles here.
:03:05. > :03:13.There has been a lot of activity here throughout the day. Paramedics
:03:13. > :03:16.coming to and from the scene. Everybody is waiting for news.
:03:16. > :03:22.Well, our reporter Nicola Smith has been here since the news broke and
:03:22. > :03:26.has this report. This quiet country lane has been at
:03:26. > :03:30.the centre of a major rescue operation. Specialist teams from
:03:30. > :03:34.across South and West Wales brought equipment and their expertise in a
:03:34. > :03:39.bid to find the miners, who were trapped underground. These pictures
:03:39. > :03:44.give you an idea of the scale of the operation. Police, ambulance
:03:44. > :03:48.and the fire service are all involved. The emergency call was
:03:48. > :03:52.made at 9:20am this morning. There were reports that seven men were
:03:52. > :03:56.trapped in the colliery. Three of those men pull themselves to safety
:03:56. > :04:00.but for remain underground. One of the men who escaped is now in a
:04:00. > :04:05.critical condition in hospital. He is a complex operation to get to
:04:05. > :04:09.the miners and all-day specially trained teams have been on site.
:04:09. > :04:15.The men are trapped by water which they hit when they broke into an
:04:15. > :04:20.area of old mine workings. They are located approximately 90 metres
:04:20. > :04:26.underground. They are down a 250 metre main road into the mind. At
:04:26. > :04:32.the end of that, it essentially turns left and then of that little
:04:32. > :04:36.shaft there are numerous little tunnels and so on, old workings,
:04:36. > :04:40.which all, potentially, have air pockets in. They are experienced
:04:41. > :04:46.miners, they know the layout of the mind, they would know where to go
:04:46. > :04:52.in this sort of situation. The issue we are dealing with his bare
:04:52. > :04:57.root out of the mind is blocked by water. Local contractors have been
:04:57. > :05:02.brought in with pumps, generators, and lights. The rescue is touching
:05:02. > :05:06.people right across this area and beyond. A strategic co-ordination
:05:06. > :05:11.group has been formed and the Welsh government is represented on that.
:05:11. > :05:16.I am being kept fully informed by my officials and by emergency
:05:16. > :05:23.services at the scene. Police say the men who managed to escape have
:05:23. > :05:26.been able to provide rescuers with vital information.
:05:26. > :05:33.Let's talk to the local MP, Peter Hain. He came straight down from
:05:33. > :05:39.London. What is your reaction? is very serious. This is a grim
:05:39. > :05:42.situation. The families are clearly traumatised. I have seen at first
:05:42. > :05:47.hand the emergency services and the police working flat out, determined
:05:47. > :05:51.to rescue these men. But they are run a very difficult situation. One
:05:51. > :05:55.of the things about this area is, when you see the community rallying
:05:55. > :05:59.around, there has been a lot of mining and distillers. Mining may
:05:59. > :06:06.have died out in other parts of South Wales but there is still a
:06:06. > :06:12.lot of activity, two large mines in the Neath Valley, for example. The
:06:12. > :06:16.community is rallying around. The last time we had a fatality here
:06:16. > :06:21.was 20 years ago. That was about five or six miles up the valley. We
:06:21. > :06:26.are hoping against hope that these men are going to be rescued. As a
:06:26. > :06:31.minister, what will you be doing? As the shadow minister, I have
:06:31. > :06:34.already spoken to the Secretary of State for Energy in Westminster to
:06:34. > :06:38.say that if any resource is needed in South Wales that we don't have,
:06:38. > :06:41.although we seem to have everything we need, and I have nothing but
:06:41. > :06:46.praise for the rescue operation, but if there is anything we need he
:06:46. > :06:52.has promised to deliver it. Nothing matters more than getting these men
:06:52. > :06:56.out safely. What have the emergency services been telling you? It is a
:06:56. > :07:01.very difficult situation. The main tunnel they have gone in and out of
:07:01. > :07:06.has been blocked by water. They tried to gain access through the
:07:06. > :07:09.eternal witches parallel and they were short of oxygen and so they
:07:09. > :07:14.are pumping oxygen into that tunnel and they are trying to pump the
:07:14. > :07:20.water out of the main one. They are desperately hoping they can reach
:07:20. > :07:25.these trapped men. How are the families bearing up? The families
:07:25. > :07:29.are traumatised. Obviously, they are worried out of their minds. The
:07:29. > :07:34.son of one of the trapped miners, he himself, for chilli, was able to
:07:34. > :07:37.get out safely. But he is pacing around the local community centre
:07:37. > :07:44.desperately worried about his father. That is true of the other
:07:44. > :07:49.farm least -- families. These are communities that no mining but have
:07:49. > :07:53.not known anything like this since anybody can remember. Thank you
:07:53. > :07:56.very much. It's been a huge shock to the
:07:56. > :07:58.people here. Friends and family are gathered at a community centre in
:07:58. > :08:08.Rhos where they're anxiously waiting for news on the rescue.
:08:08. > :08:13.I've been here all afternoon speaking to the people here. This
:08:13. > :08:17.is around a mile and a half from the colliery. Relatives have been
:08:17. > :08:21.gathering all day. It has been acting as a liaison point for them
:08:21. > :08:25.to find out the latest news. In the last few seconds, a police
:08:26. > :08:31.inspector and a fire crew member went in with some news. They have
:08:32. > :08:35.been waiting, not knowing what is happening. There are wives, sons,
:08:35. > :08:38.nephews in there. It is an agonising wait.
:08:38. > :08:42.Under the ground, they were digging for coal in one of the few
:08:42. > :08:46.remaining mines in South Wales. Much of this area of the Swansea
:08:46. > :08:48.Valley now hides the scars of industry but the communities are
:08:48. > :08:55.mining once and when accidents happen, the community pulls
:08:55. > :09:00.together. They have gathered at Rhos village hall to wait for news.
:09:00. > :09:09.The police are telling us the water caved in it. There are four people
:09:09. > :09:17.still down there. We were you? was working. Underground? No, I
:09:17. > :09:24.don't work there. Friends of yours? My father. Everything possible is
:09:24. > :09:29.being done to rescue the men. Having just spoken so recently took
:09:29. > :09:33.the girl commander, I know that everything is being done. If there
:09:34. > :09:38.was any more resources that were required, they would be absolutely
:09:38. > :09:42.available from government. Tonight, as the operation continues, there
:09:42. > :09:47.is an increasingly anxious wait for the relatives gathered here.
:09:47. > :09:53.Let's find out a little bit more about this area. Peter Hain talked
:09:53. > :09:59.about the fact there are a number of mines still here. Yes, there are
:09:59. > :10:06.about five small minds in this area. They used to be far more. There are
:10:07. > :10:09.over 400 call miners working in these collieries. The danger is,
:10:09. > :10:14.only eight worked in this mine which was renowned for being wet
:10:14. > :10:18.and having all kinds of problems with water. It has a history of
:10:18. > :10:22.being opened and closed. There will be, I suspect, lots of questions
:10:22. > :10:26.being asked after this rescue mission about how the mind is being
:10:27. > :10:31.run and the condition of the mind. It was interesting to note from the
:10:31. > :10:35.fire officer, the chief operations officer here from Mid and West
:10:35. > :10:39.Wales, that it was actually the walls of one shaft being broken and
:10:40. > :10:43.are then the water rushing out. That has flooded this mine. That is
:10:43. > :10:48.not to do with rainfall, it is not to do with any water draining into
:10:48. > :10:57.the mind, it is this huge wall of water inside a forgotten shaft, I
:10:57. > :11:04.suppose. Thank you very much. We will speak to you later on. Let's
:11:04. > :11:09.talk to Gwenda Thomas. You have been talking to families today.
:11:09. > :11:14.That was a few hours ago now. I don't know how they feel by now,
:11:14. > :11:21.having waited even longer. This morning, of course, they were very
:11:21. > :11:24.anxious. I don't think we can imagine what they are going through.
:11:24. > :11:28.Perhaps we have started to forget that these things happen in
:11:28. > :11:31.communities like this. It is years since I remember this happening
:11:31. > :11:37.before. I think this has been a reminder to all of us that these
:11:37. > :11:42.things do happen. I have every faith in the emergency services. We
:11:42. > :11:46.have heard what the police, fire and ambulance have said, but also
:11:47. > :11:54.to see miners rescued, active within our communities, it brings
:11:54. > :11:58.it all back. We know about their expertise and that will be a very
:11:58. > :12:08.positive impact on this. What kind of impact will this have on the
:12:08. > :12:11.community? I think it will be a generational impact. A lot of young
:12:12. > :12:16.people will be listening to this and living through it for the first
:12:16. > :12:20.time. I think the older generation, who used to live with this on a
:12:20. > :12:25.daily basis, we used to live with this for fear of something like
:12:25. > :12:33.this happening, and during recent years we have had less and less
:12:33. > :12:36.about that as the industry, the demise of the industry. But I do
:12:36. > :12:40.think this has shocked people and has reminded us that this sort of
:12:40. > :12:46.thing can happen when you have got a much as employment such as mining,
:12:46. > :12:51.whether it be deep mining or drift mining or whatever. We know that
:12:51. > :12:55.the emphasis on this area has moved more to open cast mining in latter
:12:55. > :13:00.years. Were you be going back to see the families tonight and trying
:13:00. > :13:06.to give them some comfort? I think all we can do is to offer whatever
:13:06. > :13:14.support we can. We need to give them strength to see this thing
:13:14. > :13:17.through. Thank you very much for If you're worried that one of
:13:17. > :13:26.you're relatives may be involved then police have set up a phone
:13:26. > :13:30.line you can contact. The number is 01792 555565. That's 01792 555565.
:13:30. > :13:32.The latest on the rescue mission in a few minutes, first Claire has the
:13:32. > :13:35.rest of the day's news. Wales should concentrate on
:13:35. > :13:39.attracting young businesses to set up shop here, rather than chasing
:13:40. > :13:42.big, international companies. That was the advice given to the Welsh
:13:42. > :13:46.Affairs Select Committee by one of the country's most successful
:13:46. > :13:56.companies. The committee of MPs met in the National Assembly but try as
:13:56. > :14:02.
:14:02. > :14:12.they might they failed to attract The No 2 and had come, if not to
:14:12. > :14:17.Muhammad, at least two Cardiff Bay. Although the door stayed open,
:14:17. > :14:24.Edwina Hart stayed away. She had declined the invitation and was in
:14:24. > :14:33.meetings all day. We are not getting the word out effectively at
:14:34. > :14:40.the moment. Plaid Cymru were also absent. Many of the themes in
:14:40. > :14:46.Today's session were not new. Wales needs transport links for the bid
:14:46. > :14:50.should not be sold abroad as the home of cheap labour. There was the
:14:50. > :15:00.suggestion that they will be some form of enterprise zones. Should
:15:00. > :15:00.
:15:00. > :15:07.the government bring back a Welsh Development Agency? Companies like
:15:07. > :15:16.Admiral, its director said aiming to will attract multinationals was
:15:16. > :15:21.not the way forward. multinationals bring new mobile
:15:21. > :15:31.investment. They are not necessarily something that brings a
:15:31. > :15:32.
:15:32. > :15:37.stable future. You need to find start-ups. You compete to put those
:15:37. > :15:42.into Wales. It corporation is another consistent theme.
:15:42. > :15:51.chairman said it was a pity the business Minister was not there to
:15:52. > :15:56.hear it. It was a pity that they stayed away. It is a fairly
:15:56. > :16:00.negative attitude if they stay away because we are MPs and they do not
:16:00. > :16:02.want anything to do with us. We should be working together.
:16:02. > :16:05.report will be published in a few months.
:16:05. > :16:08.A soldier from the First Battalion the Royal Welsh has died in a
:16:08. > :16:11.shooting incident at a military firing range in Kent. Fusilier Dean
:16:11. > :16:13.Griffiths, who was 21, died on the Lydd Ranges yesterday. His
:16:13. > :16:16.commanding officer said he was an outstanding soldier with the
:16:16. > :16:20.potential for a long and very successful career. A police
:16:20. > :16:24.investigation is continuing. Football. FIFA have blocked the
:16:24. > :16:26.signings of two defenders by Swansea City. Darnel Situ and Rafik
:16:26. > :16:31.Halliche were both signed on transfer deadline day but they've
:16:31. > :16:33.now been denied international clearance to play. Swansea say
:16:33. > :16:37.they'll wait to see FIFA's full judgement before deciding whether
:16:37. > :16:41.to appeal. The Premier League club already has several defenders out
:16:41. > :16:51.injured. The latest, loan signing Stephen Caulker, could miss up to
:16:51. > :16:54.
:16:54. > :17:02.eight weeks with a knee problem. aren't off the field, we have a run
:17:02. > :17:12.of bad luck at the moment. Williams has been outstanding and mink has
:17:12. > :17:15.yet to feature. We are small in terms of numbers.
:17:15. > :17:17.Wales will host its own flame- lighting event in the run-up to
:17:17. > :17:21.next year's Paralympic Games. In the week before the opening
:17:21. > :17:23.ceremony, flames will be lit in Cardiff and each of the other home
:17:23. > :17:26.nations before they're combined at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the
:17:26. > :17:29.spiritual home of Paralympic sport. The torch will then be carried in a
:17:29. > :17:33.relay to the Olympic Stadium in time for the opening ceremony on
:17:33. > :17:36.August 29. Today, Welsh swimmer and 11-time gold medallist David
:17:36. > :17:46.Roberts was in London for the official launch of the Paralympic
:17:46. > :17:46.
:17:46. > :17:52.torch relay. It is a good way of promoting what this is all about.
:17:52. > :18:01.It is about getting communities together. It is an exciting idea.
:18:01. > :18:06.It could be a good thing to take the for flames from each region. It
:18:06. > :18:09.is a clever thing to do. Rugby and Wales have been based in
:18:09. > :18:11.Taupo this week, a town the size of Bridgend or Pontypridd which
:18:11. > :18:14.doesn't have a World Cup fixture itself. But undaunted, Taupo's
:18:14. > :18:17.thrown itself into attracting foreign teams and tourists. Gareth
:18:17. > :18:27.Lewis has been finding out how they've been getting on and if
:18:27. > :18:29.
:18:29. > :18:36.Welsh tourism could follow suit. Taupo, in the centre of the North
:18:36. > :18:41.Island, it is about to host a load of travelling Welsh fans. The
:18:41. > :18:47.people and businesses here have not just relied on the scenery. They
:18:47. > :18:54.have marketed heavily in Wales in the autumn, persuading people to
:18:54. > :19:04.come here. Wales, South Africa and Ireland will be based here during
:19:04. > :19:07.
:19:07. > :19:16.As a small town, we came together and said we have to sell ourselves.
:19:16. > :19:26.It is important to us. We got together and we made it happen. In
:19:26. > :19:30.the last four days, we have seen a fourfold increase in visitors.
:19:30. > :19:40.There are Welsh fans who have decided to live in the great
:19:40. > :19:47.outdoors. This is our home for the next 3 1/2 months. Welcome inside.
:19:47. > :19:53.Basically, we have our Wales flag here. This is our bed. The table
:19:53. > :19:58.folds down and we can put the cushions on top. Everyone here is
:19:58. > :20:03.so friendly and helpful. They go out of their way to give you
:20:03. > :20:06.directions until you what to do. They have done this really well.
:20:07. > :20:16.have had a fantastic time. The welcome is outstanding and the
:20:17. > :20:20.
:20:20. > :20:26.scenery is amazing. The lager is fab. It is Samoa next Sunday. At
:20:26. > :20:36.least a few fair fans have already had the adrenalin pumping this week.
:20:36. > :20:40.We are about to go for a ride. bit nervous, but I am looking
:20:40. > :20:43.forward to the experience. Glamorgan are pressing for victory
:20:43. > :20:53.on the final-day of this season's County Championship. They're
:20:53. > :20:54.
:20:54. > :20:57.chasing for victory against Kent in Let's get the day's weather now
:20:57. > :21:02.with Derek. The weather is quiet and settled at
:21:02. > :21:05.the moment but it is not going to last. There is a change on the way.
:21:05. > :21:08.Some rain and showers tomorrow and it is looking unsettled for the
:21:08. > :21:12.weekend. Dry this evening into the night but a few light showers may
:21:12. > :21:18.crop-up during the early hours. More cloud than last night so
:21:18. > :21:23.milder. Lowest temperatures 9 to 13 Celsius. Tomorrow's chart shows a
:21:23. > :21:26.trough of low pressure over Ireland pushing a front across Britain. So
:21:26. > :21:30.tomorrow some places will start dry but there will be a few showers
:21:30. > :21:35.around and then during the day more rain and showers will spread across
:21:35. > :21:40.the country. The rain heaviest in Mid Wales, the north and west
:21:40. > :21:46.followed by brighter, drier weather. The breeze picking-up with top
:21:46. > :21:48.temperatures of 18 Celsius. If you are off to the cricket at the
:21:48. > :21:52.Swalec Stadium, showers may delay the start tomorrow afternoon but it
:21:52. > :21:57.should dry and brighten-up allowing play to get under way. As for the
:21:57. > :22:00.weekend, low pressure in charge so unsettled. Sunny intervals and
:22:01. > :22:07.blustery showers. Some of the showers heavy with hail and thunder.
:22:07. > :22:11.Fresh to strong winds as well making it feel on cool. The Cob in
:22:11. > :22:16.Porthmadog is 200 years old. Lots going on this weekend. The weather
:22:16. > :22:20.not the best. Cool and windy with a bright intervals and heavy showers.
:22:20. > :22:26.Now on Sunday, Wales take on Samoa in Hamilton. Showers will clear to
:22:26. > :22:30.sunshine. The wind easing with a high of 16. Back home and our
:22:30. > :22:35.picture tonight is from Allen Lloyd. Signs of Autumn at Tintern in the
:22:35. > :22:45.Wye Valley. Thanks Allen. Some rain and showers tomorrow followed by
:22:45. > :22:46.
:22:46. > :22:50.drier and brighter weather. A That is all from the news of this
:22:50. > :22:54.evening. Let us go back now to the Swansea Valley with a major rescue
:22:54. > :23:04.operation is under way tonight. For miners are still trapped
:23:04. > :23:04.
:23:04. > :23:11.The rescue operation is still ongoing. It has been going on
:23:11. > :23:16.throughout the day. The men are trapped underground. They have been
:23:16. > :23:22.located 250 metres into the mine shaft. Images his services cannot
:23:22. > :23:27.reach them or contact them. Off the shaft, there are minor routes and
:23:27. > :23:32.we are told the men will know those routes and we are told there are
:23:32. > :23:36.their pockets there. But they cannot get out because the route is
:23:36. > :23:46.blocked by water. Three men have escaped and one is in a critical
:23:46. > :23:47.
:23:47. > :23:55.condition in hospital. They are down a 250 metre main route into
:23:55. > :24:01.the mind. It turns left and then off that, there are numerous little
:24:01. > :24:06.tunnels, old workings, which will potentially have a pocket in them.
:24:06. > :24:12.The First Minister says the priority of the Welsh Government is
:24:12. > :24:17.to ensure the men are rescued as quickly as possible and safely.
:24:17. > :24:21.Specialist teams have arrived from across the UK to help. A strategic
:24:21. > :24:27.co-ordination group has been formed and the white government is
:24:27. > :24:34.represented on that. We are being kept fully informed of developments
:24:34. > :24:41.by officials and emergency services. There is plenty of activity at the
:24:41. > :24:47.scene. A couple of police vans have arrived. Senior police officers and
:24:47. > :24:51.members of the fire crew have gone to talk to the men's family this
:24:51. > :25:01.evening. You have been talking to the families. What have they been
:25:01. > :25:09.telling you? They are obviously distressed but they are hopeful
:25:09. > :25:16.they will be rescued safely. Naturally, there are too distressed
:25:16. > :25:21.to hold any form of conversation at the moment. They are praying for
:25:21. > :25:31.the safe return of their relatives. I understand you know a few of the
:25:31. > :25:34.
:25:35. > :25:44.men who work here? I know at least two of them. I am quietly
:25:45. > :25:46.
:25:46. > :25:55.optimistic. They may have found a safe haven this morning. They will
:25:55. > :26:05.be quietly calm and they will be quite safe among themselves. They
:26:05. > :26:06.
:26:06. > :26:16.will keep each other occupied. They will be busy making sure the area
:26:16. > :26:18.
:26:18. > :26:28.they are in his safe. They will know that people are working hard
:26:28. > :26:28.
:26:28. > :26:38.to reach them. How do you know these men? They are all miners,
:26:38. > :26:40.
:26:40. > :26:48.they are great buys. I have worked with some of the families. What
:26:48. > :26:58.will you be doing tonight? Will you be with the families? I will remain
:26:58. > :26:59.
:26:59. > :27:05.here for as long as is needed. Hopefully, hopefully, we will