MineArchivePlas Power Colliery Roof Fall, 1931
| Date | 24 January 1931 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Plas Power Colliery |
| Region | Wrexham |
| Type | Collapse / Roof Fall |
| Fatalities | 3 (Frank Lea, 36, fireman; John Lewis, 67, byeman; Thomas Owen Jones, 49, byeman.) |
| Injuries | None recorded; the two other men on the shift were unhurt. |
| Context | During active mining |
Three men on a Saturday afternoon repairing shift at Plas Power Colliery were buried instantly by a fall of roof estimated at 230 tons as they prepared to set a girder in extremely wet ground; it took a rescue party, one of them the father of a dead man, about twelve hours to reach the bodies.
Cause
A massive fall of roof, estimated at 230 tons, in a place being prepared for a girder.
Contributing factors
The place was extremely wet, with metal sheets set overhead to stop water dripping on the men, and the roof was being opened up to set a girder when it came down. No warning is recorded beyond one man's shout an instant before the fall.
What happened
On the afternoon of Saturday 24 January 1931 five men were working a repairing shift at Plas Power. Simon Jones, a timberman, was with Frank Lea, John Lewis and Thomas Owen Jones, preparing the roof to set a girder; the place was extremely wet and metal sheets had been put up overhead to keep the water off. The fifth man had been sent to fetch a prop. As Jones was taking hold of a prop, Lea shouted 'Look out!' and there was a crash. An estimated 230 tons came down and buried the three men, killing them instantly. Jones's lamp went out; he shouted and got no answer, groped his way to an airway and waited there until the undermanager reached him.
Rescue & recovery
A rescue party was formed, among them Frank Lea's father, and worked through the night; it took about twelve hours to extricate the three bodies.
Investigation & inquiry
An inquiry took evidence from Simon Jones, the timberman who survived the fall, on the state of the place, the wetness of the ground, the sheets set overhead and the sequence of the fall.
Legal & regulatory aftermath
No prosecution or change of practice is recorded in the source read.
Memorials & commemoration
None found.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- Frank Lea, 36, a fireman, John Lewis, 67, and Thomas Owen Jones, 49, both byemen, were killed instantly on 24 January 1931 by a fall estimated at 230 tons. 1
- A rescue party including Frank Lea's father worked through the night and took about twelve hours to extricate the bodies. 1
- The place was extremely wet and metal sheets had been set overhead to stop water dripping on the men, who were preparing the roof to set a girder. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s summary: “Three men on a Saturday afternoon repairing shift at Plas Power Colliery were buried instantly by a fall of roof estimated at 230 tons as…” - Fireman (contextual relationship)
Frank Lea, one of the three killed, was a fireman on the repairing shift. - Roof Fall (direct cause)
A fall of roof estimated at 230 tons buried three men instantly as they prepared to set a girder. - Timberman (contextual relationship)
Simon Jones, the timberman working with the three men, survived the fall and gave the account of it.
Sources
- (secondary) Plas Power Colliery (Welsh Coal Mines) — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) Coflein NPRN 85027: Plas Power Colliery, Southsea, Wrexham — Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
- (secondary) Broughton and Plas Power Coal Co (Grace's Guide) — Grace's Guide
Record created: 9 September 2026 · Last researched: 9 September 2026