Landslides in south Wales leave locals fearing 'another Aberfan' | ITV News
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0:00 - 0:02[Roaring, rushing noises]
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0:02 - 0:06[People] Whoa. Whoa. That's bad.
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0:06 - 0:10[Announcer] It's Sunday, and
the side of a mountain has just collapsed. -
0:10 - 0:13It crashes into the river that
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0:13 - 0:15runs through the Rhondda Var,
near Tylorstown. -
0:15 - 0:18Nobody is injured, but
it's only today -
0:18 - 0:21the sheer scale of that collapse
is obvious. -
0:21 - 0:23Something else that is clear
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0:23 - 0:25is the amount of coal
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0:25 - 0:27that was still
on this mountainside. -
0:27 - 0:29Gerald watched it all happen.
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0:29 - 0:31[Gerald Durham]
There was a roar, -
0:31 - 0:33and you could see the muck
-
0:33 - 0:35starting to slip
from the top area, there. -
0:35 - 0:38Within a couple of hours,
the whole lot had come down there. -
0:38 - 0:40[Announcer] Do you feel vulnerable?
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0:40 - 0:43[Gerald] Yeah. Yeah.
With this going on, yeah. -
0:43 - 0:45These valleys are surrounded by coal.
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0:45 - 0:48They were built on coal.
-
0:48 - 0:51It's a frightening prospect,
you know. -
0:51 - 0:52If that could've happened
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0:52 - 0:54on this side of the mountain,
-
0:54 - 0:56it would be a totally different outcome.
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0:56 - 0:58[Announcer] His father Cliff
is a former miner. -
0:58 - 1:01You look at this landslide now,
what goes through your mind? -
1:01 - 1:04[Cliff Durham] Oh, Aberfan,
straight away. -
1:04 - 1:07Believe me, we don't want
to see that again. -
1:07 - 1:09I wouldn't.
-
1:09 - 1:11[Announcer] I've been
speaking to people -
1:11 - 1:12on this street.
-
1:12 - 1:15It's Bryn Heulog, and it's
opposite the landslide. -
1:15 - 1:16They described yesterday as eerie.
-
1:16 - 1:19The sound of slurry
crashing down the mountain. -
1:19 - 1:22They are just thankful
that this happened -
1:22 - 1:23in front of their homes,
-
1:23 - 1:25not behind them.
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1:25 - 1:27The greenery of the valleys
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1:27 - 1:30disguises the amount of coal
that is still hidden here. -
1:30 - 1:33In the 1970s, 80s and 90s,
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1:33 - 1:35the land was reclaimed.
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1:35 - 1:38But now, there are calls
by local people, -
1:38 - 1:42to inspect all the areas
where coal was dumped. -
1:42 - 1:44[Chris Bryant] We should definitely
-
1:44 - 1:46be inspecting all the former
coal tips. -
1:46 - 1:49Making sure that if
there is excessive water in there, -
1:49 - 1:50that that is being drained off,
-
1:50 - 1:52make sure everything is safe.
-
1:52 - 1:55Because obviously, people
have seen the horrific pictures -
1:55 - 1:58on television news, of
what's happened in Pontypridd. -
1:58 - 2:01People might not have seen it
for themselves. -
2:01 - 2:03It is much bigger than
it looked on television. -
2:03 - 2:06So, people are, of course, worried.
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2:06 - 2:08It is one thing, having water coming,
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2:08 - 2:09coursing through your house.
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2:09 - 2:11It is quite another, having, um,
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2:11 - 2:13slurry, and the top of the mountain
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2:13 - 2:15coming down through your house.
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2:15 - 2:17[Announcer] But, who is responsible?
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2:17 - 2:18Who owns the land?
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2:18 - 2:20The Coal Authority says,
it's not them. -
2:20 - 2:21The Councils say,
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2:21 - 2:23they're not sure if they do.
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2:23 - 2:25Who is responsible for these sites,
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2:25 - 2:26and who is maintaining them?
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2:26 - 2:28[Andrew Morgan] At present,
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2:28 - 2:30we are in discussion with
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2:30 - 2:31Natural Resources, Wales.
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2:31 - 2:32Clears on the side of the hill.
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2:32 - 2:34It is the big one.
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2:34 - 2:35Rhondda Var is a concern to us.
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2:35 - 2:37We have engineers on site right now,
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2:37 - 2:38monitoring it.
-
2:38 - 2:40[Announcer] Do you think that is
your land, -
2:40 - 2:42or Natural Resources Wales' land?
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2:42 - 2:44[Mr. Morgan] We are still in discussion
over that. -
2:44 - 2:46Um, but at present,
we have engineers on site, -
2:46 - 2:48trying to understand
if there is a risk -
2:48 - 2:50to the properties, or the public.
-
2:50 - 2:51Certainly there is some concern
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2:51 - 2:53about the moment that happened
yesterday, -
2:53 - 2:55and what's caused it.
-
2:55 - 2:56Is it just water on the surface,
-
2:56 - 2:59or is there a deeper issue
within the mountain? -
2:59 - 3:01That is currently under investigation.
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3:01 - 3:02[Rushing noises.]
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3:02 - 3:04[Announcer] This is what happened
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3:04 - 3:06after a weekend of heavy rain.
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3:06 - 3:08These valleys know all too well
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3:08 - 3:10of their history with landslides.
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3:10 - 3:12Now, some are questioning
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3:12 - 3:13whether this was a one-off,
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3:13 - 3:16or an early warning.
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3:16 - 3:18Rob Osborne, ITV News.
- Title:
- Landslides in south Wales leave locals fearing 'another Aberfan' | ITV News
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- Video Language:
- English
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