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| Gas safety work after explosion | Gas safety work after explosion |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Engineers are still working to make safe a gas main after an explosion near a railway station led to the evacuation of 50 homes. | Engineers are still working to make safe a gas main after an explosion near a railway station led to the evacuation of 50 homes. |
| Flames reached about 50ft (15m) in Abercanaid, Merthyr Tydfil, and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service remain at the scene after Friday night's blast. | Flames reached about 50ft (15m) in Abercanaid, Merthyr Tydfil, and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service remain at the scene after Friday night's blast. |
| Most people forced to leave their homes stayed with family and friends. | Most people forced to leave their homes stayed with family and friends. |
| The railway station at Pentrebach remains closed and a footbridge has collapsed, but no-one has been injured. | The railway station at Pentrebach remains closed and a footbridge has collapsed, but no-one has been injured. |
| Trains can only go towards Merthyr Tydfil as far as Merthyr Vale. | Trains can only go towards Merthyr Tydfil as far as Merthyr Vale. |
| Gas supplier Wales and West Utilities (WWU) said it was alerted at 1950 GMT on Friday that a medium pressure gas main had fractured and ignited at Cardiff Road. | Gas supplier Wales and West Utilities (WWU) said it was alerted at 1950 GMT on Friday that a medium pressure gas main had fractured and ignited at Cardiff Road. |
| The company said the fire service evacuated nearby properties as a precaution. | The company said the fire service evacuated nearby properties as a precaution. |
| About 1,600 properties in the village of Aberfan lost their gas supplies, and engineers were carrying out temporary repairs. But the company said it was likely to take "some days" to return supplies. | About 1,600 properties in the village of Aberfan lost their gas supplies, and engineers were carrying out temporary repairs. But the company said it was likely to take "some days" to return supplies. |
| It said: "WWU has already begun the process of bringing in additional engineering resources from all over Wales and the south west of England to support the re-connection process. | It said: "WWU has already begun the process of bringing in additional engineering resources from all over Wales and the south west of England to support the re-connection process. |
| 'Vulnerable customers' | 'Vulnerable customers' |
| "Temporary heating and cooking facilities will be offered wherever possible - with vulnerable customers taking priority - until gas supplies are resumed." | "Temporary heating and cooking facilities will be offered wherever possible - with vulnerable customers taking priority - until gas supplies are resumed." |
| Vaughan Jenkins, of the fire service, said on Saturday morning: "With the fire burning we can see where the flames are, and obviously we don't want to extinguish it until Wales and West Utilities have isolated the supply obviously due to the danger of the gas and any further explosion then. | Vaughan Jenkins, of the fire service, said on Saturday morning: "With the fire burning we can see where the flames are, and obviously we don't want to extinguish it until Wales and West Utilities have isolated the supply obviously due to the danger of the gas and any further explosion then. |
| "There's a footbridge that leads from Pentrebach across to Abercanaid which is collapsed due to the ferocity of the fire but apart from that there hasn't been any damage." | "There's a footbridge that leads from Pentrebach across to Abercanaid which is collapsed due to the ferocity of the fire but apart from that there hasn't been any damage." |
| Residents were given the option of staying at a temporary rest centre in St Peter and St Paul church hall. | Residents were given the option of staying at a temporary rest centre in St Peter and St Paul church hall. |
| A local councillor, Brent Carter, said on Friday night that the hall emptied as people went to stay with with friends and family. | A local councillor, Brent Carter, said on Friday night that the hall emptied as people went to stay with with friends and family. |
| He added: "Apparently kids were seen banging the pipes before it happened. It is a big shock for the area, especially if it is mindless. | He added: "Apparently kids were seen banging the pipes before it happened. It is a big shock for the area, especially if it is mindless. |
| "We are having problems down there all the time. Perhaps the police will now sit up and take notice if it was the kids that caused this." | "We are having problems down there all the time. Perhaps the police will now sit up and take notice if it was the kids that caused this." |
| Are you in Merthyr Tydfil? Did you witness the explosion and the aftermath? Send us your stories and your pictures. | Are you in Merthyr Tydfil? Did you witness the explosion and the aftermath? Send us your stories and your pictures. |
| Send your video and pictures to newsonline.wales@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your video and pictures to newsonline.wales@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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| At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |
| Your comments received so far: | |
| I was out in the street 600 metres away, walking to my car when I heard the pipe rupture and explode. I obviously didn't know it at that time, and thought it was Bonfire Night kicking off early again! It sounded like someone had taken about a dozen boxes of fireworks and dropped a match into them all at the same time. I looked over the houses opposite towards the park, where the kids generally set off the fireworks early and thought no more of it. By the time I had driven to the top of the village, a police car had already blocked off the main road down the valley. The fireball was huge and the flames were raging. Fair play to all of the emergency services for securing the area around it so quickly and ensuring the safety of the locals. I've heard that no-one was injured - which isn't short of miraculous - as many people of all ages use the footbridge across the Taff which is alongside this gas main. Had anyone been caught in the explosion they would have stood little or no chance on that bridge or on the paths that lead to it. I know now is not a time for speculation, but if it was vandalism as reported by a local councillor, then those responsible should count themselves very lucky to be alive. | |
| Richard |