Devastating scenes in Welsh village as people evacuated from flooded homes – live updates

A resident from the village spoke to WalesOnline, describing the devastation and heartbreak of such an incident. Speaking on the basis of anonymity, they said: “Breedon quarry in Gwaelod-y-Garth – the blasts have been getting a lot more violent. We do have a sound monitor that had been sent down from the quarry to monitor sound by other neighbours because they have subsidence with their properties but they’re not getting anywhere with Breedon.

“This afternoon at 14.03pm, we had a blast and within 10 minutes we could see cars reverse down Heol Goch (locally known as Pentrych Hill) from our home, just across the road and then all of a sudden, there was a big rush of water. We got about an inch of mud, but the water had subsided now. The police and fire service are here.

“It was like an earthquake. We do expect the quarry blasts quite regularly but normally we hear a siren but today there was no siren. The only reason we could confirm that it was a quarry blast was because the sound engineer guy was in our street at the time recording and he only comes down here when he’s been given guidance to come down because there is a blast.

“The houses at the side of Heol Berry field have been affected the worst. The water has been up to their waist. We’ve got vulnerable people on this side as well, who have been evacuated because fire people have said it’s not safe to stay in their homes due to the quality of the water.

“I’ve just been into a neighbour’s house now and they’ve had budgies and things out in the back and they’re all dead. It’s just heartbreaking.

“A lot of my neighbours are on holidays, I have had to contact one of them who’s actually a firefighter and away in France. Another is in Italy. Another elderly couple had been out shopping when it had happened. We had to just ring around and explain to people what had happened, because when they come home it’ll be a massive shock. Heartbreaking.”