Gwaelod-y-Garth flood forces evacuation after quarry ‘explosion’

The water was up to 1.5m deep

What happened in Gwaelod-y-Garth

The Breedon Group confirmed there had been an “incident” at its Taff’s Well quarry, saying its teams were “working closely with the relevant authorities”. Water company Dŵr Cymru said the flooding was not linked to its pipe network. Resident Laura Fergusson told BBC Wales that there was an “explosion” moments before the water arrived, and that the “whole house shook” like “a mini earthquake” — a dramatic turn after a summer of weather extremes across the UK.

"We are currently responding to surface water flooding at Heol Berry and Heol Y Nant, Gwaelod-y-Garth in the Taff’s Well area. Please avoid the area to allow the emergency services to deal with the incident."

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service

What we know so far

Crews from six stations were in attendance and a neighbouring industrial estate was also evacuated, the Mirror reported. Some residents said they were turned back at police cordons and did not yet know how badly their homes had been hit. The cause of the blast has not been confirmed.