MineArchiveTirbach Colliery explosion, 1932
A shot fired at Henderson's Welsh Anthracite Collieries' Tirbach Colliery, Ystalyfera, on 30 September 1932 ignited gas and burned three men, who died over the next three days.
| Date | 30 September 1932 |
|---|---|
| Mine | Tirbach Colliery |
| Region | Neath Port Talbot |
| Type | Explosion |
| Fatalities | 3 (3 died of burns: T. L. Williams (33), stallman, died 3 October; Martin Luther James (35), collier, given by one account as Martin Jones, died 1 October; and G. James (21), collier's boy, died 3 October.) |
| Context | During active mining |
Cause
Gas ignited by a shot fired at the face.
What happened
On 30 September 1932, at Tirbach Colliery in the upper Swansea Valley, a shot was fired and was followed by an ignition of gas. Three men were badly burned: the stallman T. L. Williams, aged 33, the collier Martin Luther James, 35, and a 21-year-old collier's boy, G. James. James died on 1 October and the other two on 3 October. Less than two months later a rider was killed at the colliery when a haulage rope broke, the fourth death there in two months.
Recorded claims
Individual factual claims, each attached to the source(s) that support it below. Where sources disagree, both are kept.
- On 30 September 1932 an ignition of gas following a shot at Tirbach Colliery burned three men, who died between 1 and 3 October. 1,2,3,4
- The dead were T. L. Williams, 33, stallman, Martin (Luther) James or Jones, 35, collier, and G. James, 21, collier's boy. 1,2,3,4
- The colliery was owned by Henderson's Welsh Anthracite Collieries Limited. 2,3
- In November 1932 a rider was killed at Tirbach when the main haulage rope broke, the fourth death at the colliery in two months. 1
Related terminology
Mining terms this disaster is structurally linked to, with the nature of the relationship.
- Colliery (contextual relationship)
Named 4 times in this record, first in the summary: “A shot fired at Henderson's Welsh Anthracite Collieries' Tirbach Colliery, Ystalyfera, on 30 September 1932 ignited gas and…” - Haulage (contextual relationship)
Named in this record’s narrative: “…Less than two months later a rider was killed at the colliery when a haulage rope broke, the fourth death there in two months.”
Sources
- (secondary) Welsh Coal Mines: fatalities 1932 — Welsh Coal Mines
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: T. L. Williams, Tirbach, 1932 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: Martin Jones, Tirbach, 1932 — Northern Mine Research Society
- (primary) NMRS Coal Mining Accidents and Deaths: G. James, Tirbach, 1932 — Northern Mine Research Society
Record created: 17 October 2026 · Last researched: 17 October 2026