Celsa explosion: Minute's silence for steelworkers

Peter O'Brien was a married father-of-six from Llanishen in Cardiff

Steelworkers from across the UK have taken part in a minute's silence to remember the two Celsa workers who died in an explosion at a Cardiff plant.

Hundreds of steelworkers from Wales travelled to Sheffield for a rally for the Save our Steel campaign event organised by steel trade unions.

A number of Celsa workers had been due to take part but they pulled out after Wednesday's blast.

Peter O'Brien, 51, of Cardiff, and Mark Sim, 41, of Caldicot, died.

A search for their bodies is continuing at the steelworks in Splott.

The company is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and police to determine the cause of the blast in the basement of the rod and bar mill at the site.

A piper played a lament before the minute's silence was observed

Five men were also injured in the explosion, one of whom remains in the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

A spokesman for the steelworkers' union, Community, said the minute's silence was held during the rally in Sheffield.

"Every steelworker in the UK will have been moved and affected by the shocking tragedy at Celsa this week," he said.

"It's a reminder of the risks that they can face on a daily basis and the need for everybody in the industry, particularly employers, to prioritise safety.

"It will be an extremely poignant moment as everyone stands in silence to remember their fellow steelworkers."

The rally is being held over fears of a crisis in the UK's steel industry after the collapse in steel prices led to plant closures and thousands of job losses.

Floral tributes were left at Celsa Steel's Cardiff plant after the explosion