Collapsed coal tip led to ‘frightening’ landslip | Global News Avenue

A landslide that prompted the evacuation of homes in a former mining community has been confirmed to have come from the tip of a coal mine.

Residents of Cwmtilery in Blaenau Gwent said they had to leave their homes and were taken to a leisure center on Sunday night.

Blaenau Gwent Council confirmed the landslide was “a single washout of a former coal stockpile in the area”, the Welsh Government said, adding that the coal stockpile was Category D, which had the greatest impact on public safety.

The Welsh Government said: “We are working closely with Blaenau Gwent Council and the Coal Authority to support residents and ensure the safety of the area.”

Water poured down a street in Cwmtilery, Blaenau, Gwent, with the incident leaving buildings mired in deep sludge and mud.

Debris fell from nearby coal piles and the car became trapped in mud and rocks.

First Minister Eluned Morgan said the Welsh Government was monitoring coal mining “very, very carefully”.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure we continue to invest in making sure we protect these hillsides from any landslides.”

The Welsh Government said it was “fully committed to ensuring the safety of our coal mining communities now and into the future”.

“The Coal Authority regularly inspects the highest risk coal tips (Category C and D) and we will continue to work with statutory partners across Wales to examine and assess the highest rate tips in Wales.”

Resident Wayne Green, who lives in the furthest row of houses on the hill just below where the landslide occurred, said he went to an emergency center with his family after being told to get off the street.

“It was a long night and they didn’t find us accommodation until 1.30am, but we were well looked after at the leisure center with hot drinks and sandwiches and kept informed of what was going on,” he said.

He added that his family had booked three nights at a hotel in Ebbw Vale, nine miles (14.5 kilometers) away, while they assessed the situation.

“They gave us a minibus taxi to take us here, but I don’t know how to get back because there was knee-deep mud at the end where the landslide happened and I couldn’t get the car off the street,” Mr. Green said.

He said before the evacuation, he was told by the fire department that residents should leave via specific routes if they heard sirens.

The tip is owned by Blaenau Gwent Borough Council, with the Coal Authority saying it is on site to provide expertise and support.

The Coal Authority said: “We will also continue to carry out proactive inspections of our own tips and, in line with our agreement with the Welsh Government, wider high-risk tips, as is normal following heavy rainfall.”

Resident Becky Ashford-Singer said Sunday night’s incident was a “bloodbath.”

“Everyone on the street came out, people had shovels, and it went on for about three hours.

Ms Ashford-Singer said she was unable to go to work on Monday and her two children were unable to attend school because they were stuck in their car.

“We stayed here overnight. The police told us if we heard sirens or whistles then we had to evacuate,” she said.

“It was very scary, especially because we had two kids. We were thinking: Do we stay awake and wait to listen, or do we go to sleep?

“Thankfully, the landslide did not happen again,” she said.

Another resident, Rob Scholes, said it was “scary” and “amazing how quickly it happened”.

“I’ve lived here for 17 years and the last time I saw anything like this was Storm Dennis four years ago, but it wasn’t this bad,” he said.

Mr Scholes said he had to jump out of a window to escape his house and said he only had the clothes he was wearing the night before.

Abbie Woolmer was at home when the landslide occurred and left her home with her three children late at night after being warned that further damage could occur.

They now live with family and she said she feels lucky to have someone living with them.

“Neighbors told me to wait 24 to 48 hours, but officials haven’t gotten back to me yet,” she said.

“The fire department told us last night that there were loose boulders at the site that could fall.”

Blaenau Gwent Council leader Steve Thomas said: “We can confirm that we are dealing with a localized landslide which is believed to have been caused by excess water due to the weather during Storm Burt.”

He added that experts and contractors were on site working to resolve the issue.

“We understand it is concerning and upsetting for people to leave their homes, but the safety of the public is always paramount,” he said.

“We have arranged emergency accommodation for residents as needed and have set up local advice centers to assist anyone who needs support and assistance at this time.

“We are currently unable to give a timetable for when people can return to their homes, but we are keeping people informed and we will continue to provide help and support during this time.”

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed two fire engines were at the scene but gave no further details.