MineArchiveFelinfran Colliery Explosion, 1947
| Date | 6 April 1947 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Felinfran Colliery |
| Region | Swansea |
| Primary type | Explosion |
| Associated types | Rescue |
| Fatalities | 2 (David J. Rees; James Carter.) |
| Injuries | Six others were injured. |
| Context | During active mining |
An explosion of gas 1,800 yards underground, while fourteen men were carrying out maintenance over the Easter holiday, killed two of them and injured six. Smoke hampered their escape, and a mines rescue team went down in breathing apparatus to help bring out the injured along a damaged haulage road.
Cause
An explosion of gas; the sources read give no finding on how it was ignited.
Contributing factors
Unknown.
What happened
Fourteen men were underground on the Sunday doing essential maintenance when the explosion occurred 1,800 yards in. There were no roof falls, but the blast badly damaged the haulage system and rails, and the men's efforts to get out were hampered by smoke.
Rescue & recovery
The Swansea & District Rescue Association team from the Loughor station went down wearing breathing apparatus. The damage to the haulage made the evacuation of the injured difficult, and it took a considerable time to bring them to the surface.
Investigation & inquiry
Unknown; no inquest or inspector's report was found.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
None recorded.
Changes to practice & legislation
None recorded.
Memorials & commemoration
Unknown.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- An explosion on Sunday 6 April 1947, while essential maintenance was being done, killed two men and injured six others. 1
- David J. Rees (married, two children) and James Carter (married, three children) were killed by an explosion of gas and six others injured. 2
- Fourteen men were underground on Easter holiday maintenance 1,800 yards in; smoke hampered their escape, the Swansea & District Rescue Association team from Loughor went down in breathing apparatus, and damage to the haulage made bringing out the injured slow. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Breathing Apparatus (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…Smoke hampered their escape, and a mines rescue team went down in breathing apparatus to help bring out the injured along a damaged haulage road.”
Photographs & further reading
This page doesn't try to reproduce everything — these are the best original sources found for this disaster.
Account of the explosion and rescue, with the names of the two men killed.
View sourceSources
- (secondary) Felinfran Colliery — Northern Mine Research Society (Ray Lawrence)
- (secondary) 1947 (Welsh mining fatalities by date) — Welsh Coal Mines
Record created: 16 September 2026 · Last researched: 16 September 2026