Duffryn Rhondda Colliery roof fall, 1950

At about half past two on the morning of 22 November 1950 a fall of some 45 tons buried two repairers erecting cogs in the North West District of Duffryn Rhondda Colliery, William Evans and Elias William Williams, who were suffocated before they could be reached.

Date	22 November 1950
Mine	Duffryn Rhondda Colliery
Region	Neath Port Talbot
Type	Collapse / Roof Fall
Fatalities	2 (William Evans, 44 (54 in the NMRS record), repairer, and Elias William Williams, 45, repairer (both timber withdrawers in the NMRS records).)
Context	During active mining

A tall brick column marked DR stands on a circular brick base beside a gravel track. — The Duffryn Rhondda Colliery sculpture near the site of the pit Alan Hughes, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph

Cause

A fall of about 45 tons on the two men while they were erecting cogs.

Rescue & recovery

The fireman, David Jones, said that when he reached the fall he did not know which end of it the men were at. He gathered all the help he could and the men set to work to free them, but both had died of suffocation.

Investigation & inquiry

At the inquest the coroner, B. Edward Howe, recalled that there had been another accident of the same kind at the colliery only the week before, and remarked that the winning of coal cost the lives of many good workmen.

Recorded claims

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

On 22 November 1950 two repairers, William Evans and Elias William Williams, were killed by a fall at Duffryn Rhondda Colliery. ^1,2,3
They were buried by a fall of about 45 tons while erecting cogs in the North West District, and died of suffocation. ^1,2,3
The coroner noted that a similar accident had happened at the colliery only the week before. ¹

Related terminology

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

Coal (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “…the colliery only the week before, and remarked that the winning of coal cost the lives of many good workmen.”
Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…erecting cogs in the North West District of Duffryn Rhondda Colliery, William Evans and Elias William Williams, who were suffocated…”
Fireman (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s rescue and recovery: “The fireman, David Jones, said that when he reached the fall he did not know…”

Sources

(secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: Fatalities 1950 — welshcoalmines.co.uk
(secondary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: William Evans, Duffryn Rhondda, 22 November 1950 — Northern Mine Research Society
(secondary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: William E. Williams, Duffryn Rhondda, 22 November 1950 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 25 October 2026 · Last researched: 25 October 2026