A 14-YEAR-OLD girl was fighting for her life in hosptal last week after she and a 15-year-old boy who died fell into an abandoned quarry.

Emergency services rushed to the Limekiln Road site in Abersychan on Wednesday evening around 6.30pm.

The boy, from Pontypool, was pronounced dead at the scene, while the girl was rescued by a Coastguard helicopter and airlifted to the University of Wales hospital in Cardiff in a critical condition.

A Coastguard spokesperson said the helicopter had to winch down paramedics to rescue the girl around 7.20pm owing to the difficulty of the terrain at the quarry, which is four miles south of Blaenavon.

Blaenavon councillor Janet Jones said: “This is a tragic incident, and the effects of it will have reverberations throughout the communities of Blaenavon and Abersychan.

“My thoughts are with the two families, and I’m sure the local community and the local community council will rally around to support them through this terrible time.”

The steep-sided quarry was once a hub for producing lime for local steel industries, but has been abandoned for more than half a century.

A Gwent Police spokesperson said: ”A 15-year-old boy from the Pontypool area was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service.

“A 14-year-old girl from the Blaenavon area sustained critical injuries and was taken to the University Hospital of Wales for treatment by the Welsh Air Ambulance.The boy’s next of kin have been made aware and are being supported by specialist officers.”

Officers are appealing for anyone who has information about the pair to come forward.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at approximately 6.30pm on July 6 to an incident at the Abersychan Quarry near Pontypool.

“We deployed two rapid response vehicles, two emergency ambulances and an air ambulance to the scene.”

A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “At approximately 6.55pm on Wednesday, July 6, we received a request to assist the ambulance service at The Quarry, Abersychan. Crews from Abersychan, New Inn and Malpas attended the scene. A stop message was received at approximately 9.21pm.”

Torfaen Council said it was working closely with the leadership team at the boy’s school to provide support for those affected.

“Our colleagues from the educational psychology service have been at the school since the start of the day and further support is also on hand from the school counselling service,” it said.

Torfaen MP Nick Thomas- Symonds said of the incident: “This is utterly heartbreaking news.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the young boy who has died and I desperately hope for a recovery for the young girl.

“Our whole community in the north of Torfaen is in shock and I know how difficult it will be for all staff and pupils at Abersychan School – our thoughts are with them at this awful time.”

Headteacher Phil Collins, has written to parents asking them to ensure that they or their children do not gather at the quarry to pay tribute to the boy due to safety concerns.