Generous shopper at Swansea’s busy Quadrant Centre have raised almost £6,000 for the families of the victims of the Gleision Mine disaster.
A collection point for donations set up in the centre which is at the hub of the city’s retail district, raised a total of £5,794.84.
The recently retired manager of the Quadrant Centre, Alan Wallace, who spent part of his early working career underground and he said the tragedy had struck a chord with so many people in the area.
“That’s a fantastic amount of money,” he said: “This tragedy hit hard in the area where so many families have their own close links to the mining industry, particularly in the villages around the city.
“We’ve held collections for several worthy causes and people have always been very generous and this one did hit very close to home.”
People in Swansea certainly dug deep after the disaster when four miners at the Gleision drift mine, near Pontardawe, were tragically killed when the tunnel in which they were working flooded.
Alan Wallace added: “There was over £3,000 in notes and someone put in two £50 notes which were wrapped in an elastic band, perhaps someone with very close ties to the tragedy but people are very good.
“The appeal has been very much taken to heart by the community and many families in this area will have some link with mining and can feel a connection with the victims and their families.”
