Village flooding after quarry blast

[handpaper]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yel298793o

Anyone able to shed some light on how this could happen? The village is well North of the quarry workings, on the far side of a substantial wood.

[Dog Biscuit]

handpaper said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yel298793o

Anyone able to shed some light on how this could happen? The village is well North of the quarry workings, on the far side of a substantial wood.

Not sure of how, but the opening line is a bit of a gobfull and a bit awkward

'Residents who were forced to evacuate their homes because of flooding following a planned blast at a quarry have called for it to shut.'

[bmwmike]

There is a large body of water in that hill/mountain and lots of flooded mines. From what I ve seen online and is conjecture for now but the blast seems either to have collapsed a roof and ejected water through an adit or collapsed a floor and two bodies of water merged blasting water out of a adit.

Quarry owner seems to be keeping quiet for now. The hill/mountain is basically hollowed out by the quarry and there are also lots of old disused mines around the area.

It s a right old mess. One picture showed water almost halfway up someone s patio doors.

Edited by bmwmike on Sunday 2nd August 07:30

[normalbloke]

Breedon Group not winning many friends currently…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdj029r71m4o

[irc]

handpaper said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yel298793o

Anyone able to shed some light on how this could happen? The village is well North of the quarry workings, on the far side of a substantial wood.

Looks to me that the village is beside the river well below the quarry. The blast must have caused fractures allowing a big pond somewhere to escape.

[swisstoni]

I saw a couple of residents interviewed, and who are well used to explosions from the quarry, say that what they felt and heard when this one went off was like nothing they had experienced.

Could be a cockup up the explosives front.

[gareth_r]

swisstoni said:

...Could be a cockup on the explosives front.

I used to live a couple of miles from Gwaelod.

Don't remember any big bangs, but it was 40-odd years ago.

Edited by gareth_r on Wednesday 5th August 23:46

[handpaper]

Thanks, I knew the PH brains trust would come through.

A pity that the BBC article wasn't as informative (and the TV coverage was 80% weeping women and 'concerned' journalists).

[Gareth79]

Seems only 15 properties were affected, 13 evacuated:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz05yjg49nno

Given the heights of the water (waist high) they are lucky, it could have killed somebody if there were children or vulnerable elderly people in them. Apparently some pet birds are missing.

[Sway]

swisstoni said:

I saw a couple of residents interviewed, and who are well used to explosions from the quarry, say that what they felt and heard when this one went off was like nothing they had experienced.

Could be a cockup up the explosives front.

AIUI, explosions that 'propagate' through water retain far higher blast pressures for far longer, wonder if that could be the cause? Or perhaps 'secondary' events such as collapses?

[moorx]

The water came from an old iron mine apparently:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2dp7y9j9no

bmwmike, above, was correct.