Four killed as family car plunges into Llanidloes reservoir
Thursday 21st April 2011, 3:00PM BST.
The female driver of the car survived the tragedy but her 84-year-old mother, 66-year-old husband and two teenage foster children died. The family’s Peugeot 807 is believed to have collided with a Ford Mondeo which was travelling in the same direction.
The Mondeo driver has been arrested.
The 23-year-old, from the Llanidloes area, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, but has since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.
The family, including the two teenage boys, were believed to have been holidaying in Machynlleth from their home in Pontypridd, South Wales.
The incident happened on the B4518 at the Bwlch y Gle Dam, Clywedog, near Llanidloes, at 2.30pm yesterday.
Dyfed-Powys Police spokeswoman Sian George said two vehicles were involved.
“The Peugeot left the road and entered the water at the dam and was submerged in the water,” she said.
Escape
“The woman holidaymaker driving the Peugeot managed to escape from the car, but tragically four other occupants of that car have been killed.
“The four bodies have now been recovered from the water.”
She said the police were still in the process of informing next of kin, and no further information would be released until then.
After the accident emergency services began a full-scale rescue operation. Two fire crews, one from Llanidloes and one from Newtown, and rescue boats from Aberystwyth and Llanidloes began a rescue attempt. A Sea King helicopter was sent from RAF Valley in Anglesey. Other emergency services helicopters were involved.
The Peugeot was retrieved from deep water at the reservoir last night.
A worker at a nearby car showroom said: “The story is one car clipped another and one went into the dam.”
Investigations into the cause of the incident were still under way today and police said the road was likely to remain closed for most of the day. Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to call Dyfed-Powys Police on 101 or 0845 3302000.
By Anwen Evans and Sue Austin
