One Of Four Trapped Welsh Miners Found Dead

[grynch]

One Of Four Trapped Welsh Miners Found Dead

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16070765

One of four men who were trapped in a flooded mine in South Wales has been found dead, police have said.

The identity of the man, who was found by rescuers overnight, has not been established.

horrible story this.. and my best wishes and prayers for the remaining three...
but my question ....

Given that the poor man has not been I.D.'d as yet.... is it irresponsible of the media to have announced finding him ?

[infinite monkey]

Do miners make really good money? Because it seems like the most dangerous job...maybe that's just the kind of jobs that are available?

It's awful. Maybe they'll find the other 3 OK.

[Trilby]

that is truly awful. and yeah, IM, iifc, mining is the most dangerous job there is (though steel workers, undersea welders and alligator/pest removers would beg to differ)


the news around here routinely will say someone died in an accident or was found dead behind a Wal-mart or some motel, etc., but they don't identify the person until relatives are notified. but in a case where ONE of FOUR is said to be deceased....seems kind of cruel.

[grynch]

"The body of a second miner has been found at the Gleision Colliery in South Wales, police confirm. Two miners remain missing."

[Trilby]

it's looking rather grim for the other two...

[grynch]

Originally Posted by infinite monkey

Do miners make really good money? Because it seems like the most dangerous job...maybe that's just the kind of jobs that are available?

It's awful. Maybe they'll find the other 3 OK.

as far as I know.. no... the money was crap.. but in a depressed area sometimes they were the only jobs available.

I'll leave it to some of our English members to tell you about "Thatcher'ism"

[Trilby]

all I know about Thatcher was that she was a buddie of Ronnie and she ruined the North. I know this from watching the Full Monty and other English movies.

But seriously, I know a lot of people hated her.

[glatt]

My grandfather grew up in coal country. I remember we were discussing mines once, and he said with disdain in his voice "I don't know why anybody would want to go into a hole in the ground." He worked construction instead.

[grynch]

not being English I don't know details... but she ( like Ronnie ) was a strike buster and while miners were on strike she simply ( not so simply ) closed the mines... hundreds out of work.
Annette ( errr, mrs. G that is ) tells stories of having electricity ( coal fired power plants ) 3-4 days at week at the worst of it.

as I say........local forum English'ers can better provide details.

[ZenGum]

All mining is a bit risky, but coal mining in particular is dangerous. (I think heli-logging and crack dealing are worse, but not by much). Coal is sedimentary rock so it is often not very solidly compacted together, giving cave-ins. It is likely to have pockets of gas in it that may be asphyxiating, poisonous, explosive or all three. And you're in a hole in the ground, vulnerable to flooding. And nowadays it is full of enormous machines thundering around.

[grynch]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

All mining is a bit risky, but coal mining in particular is dangerous. (I think heli-logging and crack dealing are worse, but not by much). Coal is sedimentary rock so it is often not very solidly compacted together, giving cave-ins. It is likely to have pockets of gas in it that may be asphyxiating, poisonous, explosive or all three. And you're in a hole in the ground, vulnerable to flooding. And nowadays it is full of enormous machines thundering around.

in most cases today yes...but this was an old mine... in and out of operation over the last 40 years and it was complete with timber braces and supports.. right out of the 19th century..

this is an actual (altho somewhat dated ) pic of the mine

[grynch]

and while looking for that I read that a 3rd miner has been found dead.

[Sundae]

I have no understanding of mining today, but it used to be an appalling occupation. Tiny spaces, hard physical work in cramped conditions, dangerous circumstances and low pay. Men went down the mines because that was the only job available.

Miners lied in order to sign up (mining being a protected/ reserved profession) in WWII because they figured their chances were better above ground than below.

Blasts, explosions, floods, "bad air" (poisonous gases), cave ins, equipment failure etc etc. There is a lot can go wrong down there, mining something noted for its propensity to burn.

I have a feeling that the report of the first divers sent to survey the scene probably made authorities realise that none of them could have survived. Hence announcing a death without a name. I'm sure the immediate families had already been briefed to expect the worst.

[Beest]

Originally Posted by Brianna

that is truly awful. and yeah, IM, iifc, mining is the most dangerous job there is (though steel workers, undersea welders and alligator/pest removers would beg to differ)

I'd always heard that fishing was the most deadly profession, I looked up a few top ten lists and Logging or fishing vie for first place with pilot usually third and no mention of mining.
9Probably quite different in Oz, not sure if you have a fishing industry or much logging either, but i know theres plenty of mining).
Then I found the US Bureau of Labot Stats for 2010 which has mining ( pretty specififc category) a close second behind Agriculture, fishing, hunting and forestry, which seems pretty broad including fishing and logging.

(I'm the first in my male line for several generations not to work in coal mining, though some were miners and others mining engineers)

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by Beest

(Probably quite different in Oz, not sure if you have a fishing industry or much logging either, but i know theres plenty of mining).

Indeed, possibly too much mining. Dutch disease, you know.

But yes, plenty of fishing (we have enormous oceanic claims) and so far, lots of forestry. We've almost finished chopping everything down [proud smile].

IIRC the most dangerous job is farmer. Professional fishers do okay; recreational fishers get into trouble.

Chinese coal mining is notorious - literally thousands of deaths per year. So much for the workers paradise.