Hafodyrynys Colliery roof fall, 1962

A fall of hundreds of tons in the main roadway of the Hafodyrynys drift mine in May 1962, at the change of shift, killed four repairers; night-shift men volunteered for the rescue parties, which worked through the night.

Cause

A major fall of roof in the main roadway.

What happened

On a Monday night in May 1962, as the afternoon shift was finishing and the night shift coming on, a huge fall came down in the main roadway near B.1 face of the Hafodyrynys drift mine, where 72 men were at work. Hundreds of tons fell, over twenty yards of roadway and twenty feet up into the roof. Four repairers were killed: Reginald Baker, Lyndon Nicholls, David John Owen and Melvyn Morgan. The night-shift men did not go to their places but joined the rescue parties, who worked through the night; three bodies were recovered the next day, Lyndon Nicholls first. The mine was in the middle of a large modernisation that was joining it with Tirpentwys and Glyntillery, and it was the second fatal roof fall in the district in five weeks; a week later nine men died in the Tower Colliery explosion.

Rescue & recovery

Night-shift men volunteered for the rescue parties, which worked through the night; three bodies were recovered the following day and the last some hours later.

What's uncertain

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

• NMRS dates the deaths 6 May 1962; Welsh Coal Mines lists them on the 7th and places the fall on the Monday night. (disputed) ^1,2

Recorded claims

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

• A fall of ground at Hafodyrynys in May 1962 killed four men. ^1,2,3
• Hundreds of tons fell in the main roadway near B.1 face, over twenty yards and twenty feet into the roof. ¹
• Night-shift men volunteered for the rescue parties, who worked through the night. ¹
• NMRS dates the deaths 6 May 1962; Welsh Coal Mines lists them on the 7th and places the fall on the Monday night. (disputed) ^1,2

Related terminology

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

• Colliery (contextual relationship)
  Named in this record’s narrative: “…the district in five weeks; a week later nine men died in the Tower Colliery explosion.”
• Drift (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “A fall of hundreds of tons in the main roadway of the Hafodyrynys drift mine in May 1962, at the change of shift, killed four repairers;…”
• Roof Fall (contextual relationship)
  Named twice in this record, first in the cause: “A major fall of roof in the main roadway.”

Sources

1. (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1962 — Welsh Coal Mines
2. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Reginald Baker, Hafodyrynys New Mine, May 1962 — Northern Mine Research Society
3. (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Lyndon Nicholls, Hafodyrynys New Mine, May 1962 — Northern Mine Research Society

Record created: 16 October 2026 · Last researched: 16 October 2026