MineArchiveSeven Sisters Colliery explosion, 1943
An explosion of firedamp at Seven Sisters Colliery in the Dulais valley on 25 March 1943 killed five men; the inquest blamed a broken electric safety lamp.
| Date | 25 March 1943 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Seven Sisters Colliery |
| Region | Neath Port Talbot |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 5 (Five, with two injured. Ages differ between accounts.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Firedamp ignited by the incandescent filament of an electric safety lamp whose glass and bulb had been broken.
What happened
On 25 March 1943 firedamp exploded underground at Evans and Bevan's Seven Sisters Colliery. Five men were killed: William John Evans, Leslie Jones, a boy of seventeen, Morgan Harries, Charles Birt and William James Williams. Two more, William Griffiths and Glyn Jones, were injured.
Investigation & inquiry
At the inquest Thomas Arthur Rogers, senior inspector of mines for the Swansea district, put forward the explanation that a lamp found at the scene, with its protective glass and bulb broken, had fired the gas, and the jury accepted it.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- An explosion of gas at Seven Sisters Colliery on 25 March 1943 killed five miners. 1,2
- The inquest jury found that firedamp was ignited by the incandescent filament of a broken electric safety lamp. 1
- Two men, William Griffiths and Glyn Jones, were injured. 2
- The colliery belonged to Evans and Bevan Ltd. 2
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp at Seven Sisters Colliery in the Dulais valley on 25 March 1943 killed five men; the inquest…” - Firedamp (contextual relationship)
Named 3 times in this record, first in the summary: “An explosion of firedamp at Seven Sisters Colliery in the Dulais valley on 25 March 1943…” - HM Chief Inspector of Mines (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s investigation: “At the inquest Thomas Arthur Rogers, senior inspector of mines for the Swansea district, put forward the explanation that a lamp…” - Safety Lamp (contextual relationship)
Named twice in this record, first in the summary: “…25 March 1943 killed five men; the inquest blamed a broken electric safety lamp.”
Sources
- (secondary) Seven Sisters Colliery, Dulais Valley — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) Colliery Disaster 1943: Seven Sisters — Durham Mining Museum
Record created: 7 October 2026 · Last researched: 7 October 2026