Remembering the Aberfan disaster: 58 years since coal tip collapse killed 144, including 116 children

Taking place on October 21, 1966, the disaster claimed the lives of 144 people, including 116 children, when a coal tip collapsed and engulfed Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes in the village of Aberfan, South Wales.

The disaster happened just as the school day was beginning, with thousands of tons of slurry flooding the building, trapping students and staff. Rescue efforts were mounted immediately, but most of the victims were found buried in the debris.

The cause of the disaster was traced back to a spoil tip, an accumulation of mining waste, which became unstable due to heavy rain.

The National Coal Board was later found responsible for failing to ensure the tip’s safety, despite previous warnings about its stability. The official inquiry exposed "bungling ineptitude" and led to regulatory changes concerning the management of coal tips, though no criminal charges were brought against those involved.

Jeff Edwards, the last child rescued alive from the school, had described the chaos in an interview with The Independent two years ago: "We could hear the crying and screaming… as time went on, they got quieter and quieter as children died."

John Humphrys, a Welsh broadcaster who was present at the scene, recalled the scene vividly, saying that miners rushed to the site from the nearby colliery, their faces still black with coal dust and streaked with tears. He described how they dug tirelessly, even after hope had faded: "They were digging now for bodies.”

Wales is still home to around 4,000 coal waste tips, including those similar to the one that collapsed in Aberfan in 1966, killing 144 people. That coal tip had been built precariously on a water spring. Concerns about the safety of these tips resurfaced in 2020 when a landslide occurred in nearby Tylorstown following heavy rain and storms. Fortunately, there were no casualties, as the debris flowed into a river instead.

The Welsh government has taken steps to address the risks, publishing maps of 350 coal tips considered the most hazardous and conducting 2,000 safety inspections in recent years. These efforts have cost the devolved government close to £60 million.