The Health and Safety Executive, together with the Fire Service and UK Coal are to investigate an explosion at a former colliery which left two security guards seriously injured.

The men both suffered facial burns in the incident which occurred at the site of the old Welbeck Colliery in Nottinghamshire and are said to be in a critical but stable condition in hospital. Detectives are now working with the authorities to try and determine what caused the explosion which was in an electrical sub-station above the ground.

Welbeck has not been a working colliery since May 2010 and the shafts have been filled, although there has been a small team which has continued to work at the site on decommissioning. UK Coal has said that the two injured men were the only people on site at the time of the accident and added that they weren’t UK Coal employees but were contracted to work as security guards on the site. UK Coal confirmed that it was continuing to help the police and the HSE in their investigations.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/security-guards-in-critical-condition-after-colliery-blast-6283898.html