Miner dies after roof of North Yorkshire colliery caves in
- Other miner is saved in three-hour rescue
- Two main shafts are 800m deep
- ‘Remember, think safety every hour of the day’ says sign at entrance of mine
By Chris Brooke
Last updated at 5:26 AM on 28th September 2011
Emotional: Abby Crowther weeps with relief after hearing that her father Martin, who works at the mine, was not involved in the accident
A miner was killed and another rescued last night following a roof collapse in a coal mine deep underground.
A full-scale emergency operation was launched after the two men, who have not yet been named, became trapped at the Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire yesterday afternoon.
Almost four hours later the authorities revealed that one of the men had died.
The second man suffered leg injuries which were not believed to be serious, and was taken to hospital.
It is the third fatality at the mine in three years.
The tragedy comes on the eve of the funeral of the first of four men who died earlier this month in South Wales following the flooding of the Gleision colliery in Cilybebyll, Pontardawe.
Gareth Williams, managing director of UK Coal, which operates the Kellingley mine, spoke at a press conference to confirm the death.
He said: ‘Colleagues successfully recovered one of the two men who was trapped by the legs and he was brought to the surface but we regret that a second colleague was confirmed dead by the medical team, despite their best efforts.’
No names would be released until family members had been informed, he added.
Waiting game: Families and friends of miners who work at the colliery wait outside for news last night
‘Think safety every hour of the day,’ reads the notice at the entrance of the Kellingley colliery
While the rescue was going on, family members who did not know whether their loved ones were involved gathered at the mine entrance, some of them in tears.
Sisters Leanne and Abby Crowther wept with relief when they were told their father Martin, who also works at the mine, was safe.
The colliery, near Knottingley, employs about 600 staff and is the largest remaining deep mine in Yorkshire.
Its two main shafts are almost 800 metres deep. Only one of the shafts is used by miners. The other is used to transport coal. The mine supplies local power stations as well as producing some household coal.
Two miners have been trapped underground at Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire
The North Yorkshire colliery has had a history of safety related incidents
WELSH MINE TRAGEDY INQUEST ADJOURNED
The inquest into the deaths of four men who died in a tragic colliery disaster following the flooding of the mine in south Wales was opened and adjourned today.
Phillip Hill, 44, Garry Jenkins, 39, David Powell, 50, and Charles Breslin, 62, died when water engulfed the Gleision Colliery in Cilybebyll, Pontardawe, earlier this month.
The corner spoke of the ‘sad circumstances’ that led to the men’s deaths.
Their families did not attend the inquest which lasted just a few minutes.
It was adjourned until a later date by Swansea Coroner Phillip Rogers.
During the brief hearing the coroner said he would adjourn proceedings for the receipt of further reports.
Detailed examination results relating to each man are likely to take a further eight to 12 weeks, South Wales Police have said.
The operation involving all emergency services began after the men became trapped at 4.35pm.
Police said the man who died was in his 40s and from North Yorkshire. The injured man is also in his 40s and from West Yorkshire.
A police spokesman said: ‘At around 7.30pm, two miners were brought to the surface by North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
‘A joint investigation into the incident will be carried out by specialist mine inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive and North Yorkshire Police.’
A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesman added: ‘We deployed our specialist Hazardous Area Response Team who are trained to work underground, an ambulance incident officer, senior doctors, response vehicles and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance who have been working closely with emergency service colleagues at the scene.
In recent years there have been two deaths at the mine. In October 2009 miner Ian Cameron, 46, died after an apparent equipment failure when he was crushed by a roof support. In September 2008 miner Donald Cook, 50, died in a roof fall at the colliery.
Inventor blows off the roof of his house after experiment to make vodka goes wrong
- 10 houses evacuated in South Wales village after Lawrence Toms found wandering streets in his blackened underwear
- The graduate’s company Real Cool Futures also makes gift paper stationery from sheep droppings
By Emily Allen
Last updated at 7:17 AM on 9th September 2011
An inventor blew out his windows and part of his roof when his home-made vodka kit exploded in his bedroom.
Lawrence Toms, 43, was tinkering with his vodka distillation equipment when neighbours suddenly heard a massive blast blowing out the windows and the roof of his home.
Ten neighbouring houses had to be evacuated before Mr Toms found wandering in his blackened underwear in the street.
Damage: Lawrence Toms was tinkering with his vodka distillation equipment when the blast occurred blowing out the windows and the roof of his home which is currently boarded up while windows are replaced
Home-brewing: Lawrence Toms was trying to make vodka in his bedroom when the experiment went wrong
Police were today investigating the explosion and the home brewing apparatus was taken away for examination.
Neighbours said Mr Toms had been making vodka at his home after downloading a recipe and instructions from the internet.
Next-door neighbour Gavin Rees, 28, said: ‘I’d just put my five-year-old to bed when I heard a massive explosion.
‘I looked out of the window and saw my neighbour in the street in his boxers and shorts with all his skin burnt off his arms.
‘I took him in and ran his burns under the tap until the paramedics took him away.’
Four fire engines and an ambulance were called to the terraced street in the village of Treherbert, Rhondda, South Wales.
Fire fighters battled to control the blaze while Mr Toms was taken to a specialist burns unit.
Hannah Knowles, 63, who lives opposite, said: ‘I was just settling down to watch Coronation Street with a cup of tea when I heard a huge bang.
‘I looked out the window and saw giant jets of flame shooting out of the roof of Mr Tom’s house. I’ve never seen anything like it.
‘His windows were blown out but luckily for me his camper van was parked outside and that shielded me from the blast.’
Mr Toms, a graduate of St Mary’s University, London, runs his own company called Real Cool Futures.
One of his products is making gift paper and stationery from sheep droppings which has been presented to Prince Charles.
Explosion: Four fire engines and an ambulance were called to the terraced street to put out the blaze. The blackened windows, smoke stained room and damaged roof can be seen
In 2006 he won a £20,000 Millennium Award for ‘social entrepreneurship’.
But neighbours believe he was experimenting by making full-strength vodka using distillation apparatus which he had built in a bedroom.
Neighbour Susan Minty, 52, said: ‘He was definitely old enough to know better – he’s going to wake up with one hell of a hangover.
‘It’s crazy, you don’t go making something like that in a terrance street especially when there’s lots of kids about.
‘The fire fighters told us we were lucky the whole street didn’t go up.’ Mr Toms was yesterday being treated at Morriston Hospital in Swansea where he was described as ‘stable’.
South Wales Police said they believe that the explosion was caused by home-made alcohol.
‘The windows were blown out of the property and it was lucky no one in the street was injured.’ ‘We believe the explosion was triggered by a home brewing kit.
‘It’s not a criminal offence to brew your own alcohol for private use, unless it’s being carried out without licence for commercial benefit.
‘But officers are satisfied he was making it for his own consumption and this was not a commercial operation.’ Instructions available on the internet say: ‘Distillation is best done somewhere other than your house for safety considerations.
‘Distillation apparatuses are heated by open flames and other means that can cause bodily injury and result in explosions, especially due to the flammable nature of alcohol.
‘Leaks in a still or any situation where alcohol or alcohol vapour may end up exposed to flame, can very likely lead to explosion and fire.’
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Legacy LMR15.1 High Resolution TFT Roof Mount Monitor with IR Transmitter and Wireless Remote Control
- 5 Position Electronic Adjustable Panel
- 16 – 9 Wide Screen
- Full Function OSD Touch Screen
- High Resolution and High Definition Picture capability
- DVD/SVCD/VCD/CD/CDR/CDR/RW Player Built-In ESP (Electronic Shock Protection)
Product Description
TFT Wide Screen Monitor Dual Dome Light Universal Roof Mount Console PAL NTSC Multi-System 45˚ Swivel Screen High Resolution 800 x 600 Two Video Inputs One Audio Input & One Audio Output English OSD Menu Full Function Wireless Remote Control Built-In IR Transmitter for Wireless IR Headphones Power Input: DC12V Dimensions: 13.5-Inch x 11.7-Inch x 1.25-Inch… More >>
Categories: Car Electronics Tags: Control, High, LEGACY, LMR15.1, Monitor, Mount, Remote, Resolution, Roof, Transmitter, Wireless
