Hain urges Government to address mining-rescue flaws

摘要

The recent heroic but failed attempt to rescue four miners from the Gleision Colliery in Wales was seriously hampered by a lack of resources, the Shadow Welsh Secretary has claimed. The four men who died - Philip Hill, 44, Charles Breslin, 62, David Powell 50, and Carry Jenkins, 39 - were trapped in the mine when it flooded, on 15 September. Submitting a report to the Government on the attempt to rescue the miners, Peter Hain said on 17 October that had they survived the flood, their recovery would have been jeopardised by a shortage of resources and emergency back-up. His report called for the Mines Rescue Service to be properly resourced and provided with access to the Treasury Reserve, so that its future duties can be properly and professionally discharged.