The Cambrian Colliery Disaster 1965

'Another sad scar in the Rhondda's History', '31 Died in Pit Hell', 'Rhondda Hell'.

So read the newspaper headlines on the 18th May 1965 following an explosion at Cambrian Colliery, Clydach Vale, on Monday May 17th. The explosion occurred at just before 1.00p.m. in the Pentre Seam of the p.26 district which had only been in full production for four months, and was the last of the major colliery disasters to hit South Wales, A major rescue operation was immediately launched, at times involving over 150 men. Ten hours after the explosion the last of the bodies was removed from the two and a half feet seam 300 yards underground and more than one and a half miles from the pithead. The final toll of the explosion was 31 dead, many of whom had to be identified either from the numbers on their lamps or by their fingerprints, and 13 injured.

An inquiry was held into the disaster at the Law Courts, Cardiff, over four days in the July of the year, with 58 persons appearing to give evidence. The inquiry found that the explosion was of firedamp with flame spreading along approximately 325 yards of face and return roadway. The firedamp had assumed explosive proportions due to poor ventilation circulating the district caused principally, the inquiry found, through a poorly constructed airbridge allowing the build up of gas. This gas was ignited by an electric arc on an open switch panel on which electricians were working. Therefore the explosion was deemed to be the result of poor 'pit practice'.

Although used to mining disasters, this explosion shocked the nation with D. Francis stating in 'The Miner' journal, 'I never thought that in 1965 we should be faced with a tragedy such as this'. Disasters on this scale were thought to be a thing of the past. The funerals of the dead miners were held on the Friday and Saturday and were incredibly moving, more than 20,000 people silently lined the route of the funeral procession, which stretched for over two miles. The Queen herself sent a message of sympathy to the families of the injured and bereaved and a disaster fund was set up which raised over £123,000.

Two years after the disaster the mine was finally closed, and in 1992 Neil Kinnock opened a Memorial garden on the site of the old pit.