The victims of the Aberfan Disaster are remembered every year on October 21
(Picture: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)Today (October 21) marks the 56th anniversary of the Aberfan Disaster of 1966, which killed 116 children and 28 adults in a village in South Wales.
The Aberfan tragedy was one of the UK’s worst coal-mining disasters in history and killed almost an entire generation of the village’s youth.
Every year, the people of Wales and the UK pay tribute to the victims and the community of Aberfan on the anniversary of the disaster.
Learn about the story of the Aberfan Disaster and its aftermath below.
What was the Aberfan Disaster?
Aberfan is a village near Merthyr Tydfil, in South Wales.
Its colliery opened in 1869, but by 1916 it had run out of space to dump waste on the valley floor. The colliery then began tipping its waste on the mountainside above the village.
The Aberfan Disaster occurred on October 21, 1966, when the children of Pantglas Primary School were just settling into their classrooms.
Around 9.15 am, 140,000 cubic yards of coal waste came pouring down the mountainside.
The avalanche smothered the primary school as well as nearby houses and the nearby secondary school, killing more than 140 people, most of them children.
Jeff Edwards, a survivor of the disaster who was just eight years old at the time, recalled the traumatic experience in an interview with the BBC.
He said: ”I remember waking up with all this material that had come from the other side of the room on top of me.
“All this material was over me, and all these screams and shouts, but the lasting memory for me was the young girl’s head on my shoulder...
"When I think of the disaster, that [image] was going to cause problems for many years to come.”
Another survivor, Gaynor Madgwick, who lost her brother and sister in the disaster, told the BBC: “I never remember the slurry hitting me.
“When I woke up, I’d been catapulted to the back of the classroom. I just remember looking around; desks, chairs, mud, slurry.
“I just lay there, I wasn’t screaming, I was in shock.”
The avalanche is thought to have happened due to a build-up of water at the colliery’s spoil tips.
Despite Aberfan’s town council expressing their concerns about the spoil tips years before, following a non-lethal accident, the National Coal Board failed to take action, and a national inquiry found them guilty of extreme negligence.
The aftermath of the Aberfan Disaster
The disaster garnered widespread attention across the UK. Prince Philip, Lord Snowdon, and the then-prime minister Harold Wilson were among those who visited the village the following day.
The Queen visited Aberfan eight days later, shortly after the village had held a mass funeral for the victims, which attracted some criticism.
However, many Aberfan community members were glad the Queen waited, as visiting any sooner might have added to the confusion.
The Queen, who had two young children at the time, was said to have been deeply moved by the tragedy. She visited the village a number of times over the years, throughout her reign.
The Aberfan Disaster and the Queen’s visit were depicted in an episode of The Crown.
In response to the disaster, The Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969 was passed, providing guidance on ensuring the safety of spoil tips. It has since been replaced by the Mines Regulations Act 2014.
Tributes for the community of Aberfan
BBC presenter Huw Edwards said: “116 children. 28 adults. Remember, Aberfan 21-10-1966. Remember the criminal negligence that caused it. Remember the shameful response of the Government and coal board.”
116 children. 28 adults. Remember Aberfan 21 10 1966. Remember the criminal negligence that caused it. Remember the shameful response of government and coal board. #Aberfan 🏴 pic.twitter.com/ZnQs0isRrs
— ℍ𝕦𝕨 𝔼𝕕𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕤 (@thehuwedwards) October 21, 2022
First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Today, we mark 56 years since one of the bleakest days in our history. We will always remember those who lost their lives – most of them children.
“The resilience and strength shown by the community who faced the unimaginable is a shining example to us all.”
Today we mark 56 years since one of the bleakest days in our history.
— Mark Drakeford (@PrifWeinidog) October 21, 2022
We will always remember those who lost their lives – most of them children.
The resilience and strength shown by the community who faced the unimaginable is a shining example to us all.#Aberfan
Welsh commentator Owen Williams said: “56 years ago, a generation of little children was wiped from the face of the earth in a wholly avoidable tragedy.
“Aberfan was real. It happened. And those responsible have dodged accountability for far too long. Wales can’t, and won’t, forget.”
56 years ago, a generation of little children was wiped from the face of the earth in a wholly avoidable tragedy.
— Owen Williams 🏴 (@OwsWills) October 21, 2022
Aberfan was real. It happened. And those responsible have dodged accountability for far too long.
Wales can’t, and won’t, forget.pic.twitter.com/9MJLYrN3pj
Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: “56 years ago this morning, 116 children and 28 adults were killed in the horrific Aberfan disaster. Today, we remember them.”
56 years ago this morning, 116 children and 28 adults were killed in the horrific Aberfan disaster.
— Adam Price 🏴🏳️🌈 (@Adamprice) October 21, 2022
Today, we remember them. pic.twitter.com/15Sfj41x7X
Merthyr Town FC said: “56 years on, we remember those who we tragically lost on 21st October 1966 in the Aberfan disaster.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with those families who lost their loved ones on that awful day.”
♥️ 56 years on, we remember those who we tragically lost on 21st October 1966 in the Aberfan disaster.
— The Martyrs (@MerthyrTownFC) October 21, 2022
Our thoughts and prayers remain with those families who lost their loved ones on that awful day. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/7otpFCDpHG
