Three out of four miners trapped underground in Wales have been found dead, police confirmed on Friday. as rescue workers struggle to reach the bodies.
Families and friends of the group have faced an agonising wait as without access to the bodies police have been unable to identify those killed.
Earlier Shadow Welsh Secretary Peter Hain and MP for the area said a "tragic situation" had gotten worse after the death count rose.
Superintendent Phil Davies from South Wales Police earlier announced the body of one miner was found on Friday morning during a rescue operation at the Gleision Colliery mine in Swansea, Wales.
"We are not in a current position to recover him from the mine and therefore we do not know the identity of that person," he said.
"All families have been informed."
The men have been trapped in the mine near Cilybebyll, Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley, since Thursday morning. They are believed to be trapped 90m underground in an air pocket.
The South Wales Police named the miners as Phillip Hill, 45, from Neath, Charles Bresnan, 62, David Powell, 50, and Garry Jenkins, 39, all from the Swansea Valley.
Gary Evans of the South and Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team said the rescue divers went down 30 metres but were unable to go any further as debris had made the water murky.
A fifth miner is critically ill in hospital after escaping as flood water engulfed the drift mine on Thursday. Two other men who were with him escaped largely unharmed and are aiding the rescue operation.
Police said emergency services were continuing a "multi-agency rescue operation", while the men's families were being supported by family liaison officers. Fresh rescue teams were brought in this morning to relieve crews which had worked strenuously for at least 12 hours straight.
Prime Minister David Cameron said his thoughts were with the families.
"Every support will be given to the emergency services to ensure they continue to do all they can. In due course we must ensure we fully understand and learn from the causes of this accident."
The Wales rugby team, currently in New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup, have sent their support for the miners.
The team's coach Warren Gatland said: "Our thoughts are very much with the miners, their families and friends. On behalf of the squad, we want to send that support back to Wales. It is very important for us," the Press Association reported.
Advancements in technology have meant mining disasters are relatively rare in Britain, although seven people have been killed in mining accidents in the country since 2006.
The worst mining accident in Britain occurred at the Senghenydd colliery disaster in Wales, when 439 miners were killed following a gas explosion in October 1913.