Blaengwawr Colliery explosion, 1925

At 7.30 in the morning of 19 January 1925, at the start of the day shift in the Blaengwawr mountain level, Aberdare, gas that had gathered in a heading after the ventilating fan failed overnight exploded. The explosion stayed local, but three men were badly burnt and died in hospital: David Howells, William Thomas and the boy Thomas Jones.

Cause

Firedamp accumulated in Richard Howells's heading after the ventilating fan stopped during the night shift, and was fired at the start of the day shift; the boy's lamp was found opened.

What happened

Sixty-one men were below when the day shift began. David Howells and the boy Thomas Jones worked in his son Richard's heading, and William Thomas in a stall off it. Richard Howells said he had stripped for work when heat came over him and he remembered nothing more. Sam Morgan, two hundred yards away, felt a check in the air and was splashed by water from a nearby swamp; hearing shouting, he went to the heading and carried the boy out. The explosion did not spread. The three most badly burnt were taken to Aberdare General Hospital. William Thomas's son survived because he had gone into the level ten minutes after the others.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest the night fireman, Richard Mills, questioned in Welsh, said he had found gas in the heading at 10.15 the night before and under two per cent at 6.15 a.m.; told at the end of his shift that the fan had stopped, he noted it in his report book and went home without finding the manager. The coroner, R. J. Rhys, told him he should have done more to let the manager know before men went into the workings. The Secretary for Mines' return of fatal explosions for 1910 to 1929 lists the Blaengwawr explosion of 19 January 1925 with three deaths.

What's uncertain

Points where sources disagree or the record could not be settled; both accounts are kept. All open questions in the archive.

• The ventilating fan had failed during the night shift and gas had built up in Howells's heading; the boy's lamp was found to have been opened. (uncertain) ¹
• The coroner, R. J. Rhys, criticised the night fireman for not making sure the manager knew the fan was out of order before the day shift went in. (uncertain) ¹

Recorded claims

Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.

• An explosion of firedamp at Blaengwawr Colliery, Aberdare, on 19 January 1925 killed three men. ^1,2
• David Howells, 58, died on 22 January and William Thomas, 44, and the boy Thomas Jones, 16, on 24 January, in Aberdare General Hospital. ¹
• The ventilating fan had failed during the night shift and gas had built up in Howells's heading; the boy's lamp was found to have been opened. (uncertain) ¹
• The coroner, R. J. Rhys, criticised the night fireman for not making sure the manager knew the fan was out of order before the day shift went in. (uncertain) ¹

Related terminology

Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.

• Firedamp (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s cause: “Firedamp accumulated in Richard Howells's heading after the ventilating fan…”
• Fireman (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s investigation: “At the inquest the night fireman, Richard Mills, questioned in Welsh, said he had found gas in the…”
• Level (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…1925, at the start of the day shift in the Blaengwawr mountain level, Aberdare, gas that had gathered in a heading after the ventilating…”
• Stall (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…Jones worked in his son Richard's heading, and William Thomas in a stall off it. Richard Howells said he had stripped for work when heat came…”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines fatalities, 1925 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) Hansard, 1 April 1930: Fatal accidents, South Wales and Monmouthshire (written answer listing colliery explosions 1910-1929) — UK Parliament, Hansard (HC Deb 01 April 1930 vol 237 cc1082-3W)

Record created: 20 October 2026 · Last researched: 20 October 2026