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It is very sad that one of these brave men has lost his life and my thoughts are with his family.
Let's be positive about the remaining three men, there is pockets of air on the other side of the flood and let's hope these men are all together, if there is a chance, these men will fight to survive.
These men working at Gleison Colliery are working the coal, in the same way my grandfathers did in the 30's/40's.
Being a drift mine means they walk in through the main shaft, this pit has a second shaft running at right angles and used as an emergency egress only. This shaft is the miner's lifeline. Reputedly opened in 1962 but definitely in production by 1980, the coalface is deep into the hillside, I am surprised that another means of egress has not been installed further inbye but cost is probably the cause.
Working a 2ft 6in, pillar & stall coalface, means working on hands & knees or lying down, similar to Kent. Winning the coal by shot blasting, to fracture the coal, then using pick and shovel to get coal onto Panzer conveyor off the coalface, onto tubs, that are then hauled out of the mine by haulage engine, was the same method used 60yrs ago in Kent.
There used to be around 85 of these pits in the early 90's, this pit is one of only four that is left.
Why are these men, the owner is one of them, still working in these dangerous and terrible conditions today?
Obviously there is still a need for coal, they would not have survived this long if there wasn't.
Because there is still an abundance of coal stocks, remaining below our feet and because these men are born and bread miners, they are doing what comes naturally to them and that is looking after their families and keeping their mine going for the sake of their community.
I so much admire these men and I am still angry that we have lost our mines in Kent.
These men are proud and brave and if anyone can survive this ordeal, they can.
My prayers and thoughts are with them and their families