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Gleision mine deaths trial gets under way

Swansea Crown Court

Mine manager Malcolm Fyfield facing four counts of gross manslaughter at Swansea Crown Court

THE manslaughter trial of mine manager Malcolm Fyfield, who is accused of causing the deaths of four miners two-and-a-half years ago at a coal mine in South Wales, began this week at Swansea Crown Court.

David Powell, Charles Breslin, Philip Hill and Gary Jenkins all lost their lives at the Gleision drift mine, near Cilybebyll, in the Swansea Valley, when it was flooded in September 2011.

 

It is estimated that in around three minutes, more than half a million gallons of water engulfed the section of the mine in which the men were working when they broke through into old flooded workings.

Mr Fyfield, who was the manager of the mine at the time of the incident, was later charged with four counts of gross negligence manslaughter, which he denies.

The company which owned and operated the mine, MNS Mining Ltd, also faces four charges of corporate manslaughter, which it denies.

The proceedings are expected to last six months.

 

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