1 00:00:00,324 --> 00:00:02,261 [Roaring, rushing noises] 2 00:00:02,261 --> 00:00:06,211 [People] Whoa. Whoa. That's bad. 3 00:00:06,211 --> 00:00:09,993 [Announcer] It's Sunday, and the side of a mountain has just collapsed. 4 00:00:09,993 --> 00:00:12,612 It crashes into the river that 5 00:00:12,612 --> 00:00:15,229 runs through the Rhondda Var, near Tylorstown. 6 00:00:15,229 --> 00:00:17,862 Nobody is injured, but it's only today 7 00:00:17,862 --> 00:00:21,044 the sheer scale of that collapse is obvious. 8 00:00:21,044 --> 00:00:22,794 Something else that is clear 9 00:00:22,794 --> 00:00:24,511 is the amount of coal 10 00:00:24,511 --> 00:00:26,946 that was still on this mountainside. 11 00:00:26,946 --> 00:00:29,095 Gerald watched it all happen. 12 00:00:29,095 --> 00:00:30,878 [Gerald Durham] There was a roar, 13 00:00:30,878 --> 00:00:32,544 and you could see the muck 14 00:00:32,544 --> 00:00:35,046 starting to slip from the top area, there. 15 00:00:35,046 --> 00:00:38,235 Within a couple of hours, the whole lot had come down there. 16 00:00:38,235 --> 00:00:39,952 [Announcer] Do you feel vulnerable? 17 00:00:39,952 --> 00:00:42,844 [Gerald] Yeah. Yeah. With this going on, yeah. 18 00:00:42,844 --> 00:00:45,278 These valleys are surrounded by coal. 19 00:00:45,278 --> 00:00:47,521 They were built on coal. 20 00:00:47,521 --> 00:00:50,862 It's a frightening prospect, you know. 21 00:00:50,862 --> 00:00:52,462 If that could've happened 22 00:00:52,462 --> 00:00:53,945 on this side of the mountain, 23 00:00:53,945 --> 00:00:56,195 it would be a totally different outcome. 24 00:00:56,195 --> 00:00:58,470 [Announcer] His father Cliff is a former miner. 25 00:00:58,470 --> 00:01:01,449 You look at this landslide now, what goes through your mind? 26 00:01:01,449 --> 00:01:04,396 [Cliff Durham] Oh, Aberfan, straight away. 27 00:01:04,396 --> 00:01:07,479 Believe me, we don't want to see that again. 28 00:01:07,479 --> 00:01:08,745 I wouldn't. 29 00:01:08,745 --> 00:01:10,696 [Announcer] I've been speaking to people 30 00:01:10,696 --> 00:01:11,979 on this street. 31 00:01:11,979 --> 00:01:14,513 It's Bryn Heulog, and it's opposite the landslide. 32 00:01:14,513 --> 00:01:16,496 They described yesterday as eerie. 33 00:01:16,496 --> 00:01:19,180 The sound of slurry crashing down the mountain. 34 00:01:19,180 --> 00:01:21,547 They are just thankful that this happened 35 00:01:21,547 --> 00:01:23,447 in front of their homes, 36 00:01:23,447 --> 00:01:24,997 not behind them. 37 00:01:24,997 --> 00:01:27,281 The greenery of the valleys 38 00:01:27,281 --> 00:01:30,314 disguises the amount of coal that is still hidden here. 39 00:01:30,314 --> 00:01:32,913 In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, 40 00:01:32,913 --> 00:01:34,979 the land was reclaimed. 41 00:01:34,979 --> 00:01:37,994 But now, there are calls by local people, 42 00:01:37,994 --> 00:01:41,747 to inspect all the areas where coal was dumped. 43 00:01:41,747 --> 00:01:43,530 [Chris Bryant] We should definitely 44 00:01:43,530 --> 00:01:45,761 be inspecting all the former coal tips. 45 00:01:45,761 --> 00:01:48,612 Making sure that if there is excessive water in there, 46 00:01:48,612 --> 00:01:50,462 that that is being drained off, 47 00:01:50,462 --> 00:01:52,246 make sure everything is safe. 48 00:01:52,246 --> 00:01:55,414 Because obviously, people have seen the horrific pictures 49 00:01:55,414 --> 00:01:58,245 on television news, of what's happened in Pontypridd. 50 00:01:58,245 --> 00:02:00,612 People might not have seen it for themselves. 51 00:02:00,612 --> 00:02:03,331 It is much bigger than it looked on television. 52 00:02:03,331 --> 00:02:05,514 So, people are, of course, worried. 53 00:02:05,514 --> 00:02:07,803 It is one thing, having water coming, 54 00:02:07,803 --> 00:02:09,481 coursing through your house. 55 00:02:09,481 --> 00:02:11,248 It is quite another, having, um, 56 00:02:11,248 --> 00:02:13,250 slurry, and the top of the mountain 57 00:02:13,250 --> 00:02:15,048 coming down through your house. 58 00:02:15,048 --> 00:02:16,897 [Announcer] But, who is responsible? 59 00:02:16,897 --> 00:02:17,931 Who owns the land? 60 00:02:17,931 --> 00:02:19,889 The Coal Authority says, it's not them. 61 00:02:19,889 --> 00:02:20,955 The Councils say, 62 00:02:20,955 --> 00:02:22,547 they're not sure if they do. 63 00:02:22,547 --> 00:02:24,511 Who is responsible for these sites, 64 00:02:24,511 --> 00:02:26,291 and who is maintaining them? 65 00:02:26,291 --> 00:02:27,772 [Andrew Morgan] At present, 66 00:02:27,772 --> 00:02:29,510 we are in discussion with 67 00:02:29,510 --> 00:02:31,011 Natural Resources, Wales. 68 00:02:31,011 --> 00:02:32,500 Clears on the side of the hill. 69 00:02:32,500 --> 00:02:33,526 It is the big one. 70 00:02:33,526 --> 00:02:35,231 Rhondda Var is a concern to us. 71 00:02:35,231 --> 00:02:37,020 We have engineers on site right now, 72 00:02:37,020 --> 00:02:37,972 monitoring it. 73 00:02:37,972 --> 00:02:40,050 [Announcer] Do you think that is your land, 74 00:02:40,050 --> 00:02:41,662 or Natural Resources Wales' land? 75 00:02:41,662 --> 00:02:44,021 [Mr. Morgan] We are still in discussion over that. 76 00:02:44,021 --> 00:02:46,284 Um, but at present, we have engineers on site, 77 00:02:46,284 --> 00:02:48,147 trying to understand if there is a risk 78 00:02:48,147 --> 00:02:49,853 to the properties, or the public. 79 00:02:49,853 --> 00:02:51,434 Certainly there is some concern 80 00:02:51,434 --> 00:02:53,464 about the moment that happened yesterday, 81 00:02:53,464 --> 00:02:54,585 and what's caused it. 82 00:02:54,585 --> 00:02:56,401 Is it just water on the surface, 83 00:02:56,401 --> 00:02:58,661 or is there a deeper issue within the mountain? 84 00:02:58,661 --> 00:03:00,571 That is currently under investigation. 85 00:03:00,571 --> 00:03:01,882 [Rushing noises.] 86 00:03:01,882 --> 00:03:03,681 [Announcer] This is what happened 87 00:03:03,681 --> 00:03:05,731 after a weekend of heavy rain. 88 00:03:05,731 --> 00:03:07,830 These valleys know all too well 89 00:03:07,830 --> 00:03:09,931 of their history with landslides. 90 00:03:09,931 --> 00:03:11,514 Now, some are questioning 91 00:03:11,514 --> 00:03:13,266 whether this was a one-off, 92 00:03:13,266 --> 00:03:15,752 or an early warning. 93 00:03:15,752 --> 00:03:17,699 Rob Osborne, ITV News.