Sixty years ago today, a mountain of coal waste buried a school full of children.
October 21, 1966, Aberfan, Wales. Tip 7, a colliery spoil heap about 111 feet high on the slope above the village, had been partly built over natural springs, which had been marked on maps since 1874. Residents and the local council had raised concerns with the National Coal Board about "Danger from Coal Slurry being tipped at the rear of the Pantglas Schools." No action had been taken. After three weeks of heavy rain, the top of the tip subsided 9 to 10 feet overnight. At 9:15 am the saturated waste broke away and flowed downhill in waves 20 to 30 feet high.
It struck Pantglas Junior School minutes after the children arrived for the last day before half-term; teachers had just begun taking the register. Deputy headmaster Dai Beynon tried to shield children with a blackboard; he and all 34 pupils in his class were killed. A resident recalled that afterwards, "you couldn't hear a bird or a child." No survivors were found after 11:00 am. 144 people died, 116 of them children.
NCB chairman Lord Robens told reporters no one could have known about the spring; the official inquiry placed the blame on the NCB. Neither the NCB nor any of its employees was prosecuted, and it was not fined. The remaining tips were cleared with a government grant and a forced contribution of £150,000 taken from the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Fund, which the government only repaid in 1997. Remembering the 116 children and 28 adults lost on 21 October 1966.
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Sources: Wikipedia (Aberfan disaster).
Images: Wikimedia Commons. Aberfan spoil heaps pre disaster (Unknown government photographer, Public domain); Aberfan spoil heaps post disaster (Unknown government photographer, Public domain); Aberfan disaster map - extent of the spoil slip (w:Ordnance Survey, Public domain); Aberfan and old coal tips - geograph.org.uk - 673825 (Tudor Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0); Spoil Tips Above Blaenavon - geograph.org.uk - 2872402 (Chris Andrews, CC BY-SA 2.0); Karmsund folkemuseum Haugesund Norway Interior Skolestue kla (Wolfmann, CC BY-SA 4.0); Efird School Attendance Register - DPLA - 4116693d5850686b05 (unknown, Public domain); Drone image of remains of Ysgol Pantglas Aberfan, Cymru (Wal (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0); Drone image of remains of Ysgol Pantglas Aberfan, Cymru (Wal (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberfan disaster burial site (Aberfan Cemetery) (The original uploader was USW15 at Engli, CC0); Aberfan disaster victims' burial plot (USW15 (talk) (Uploads), CC0); Mynwent Aberfan Cemetery, Wales on a rainy day - Sept 2024 0 (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberfan Memorial Garden, Pantglas 1 (Angela llewellyn, CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberfan Memorial Garden dedication plaque - 3031769 afe588eb (Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0); Coal tips above Senghenydd. - geograph.org.uk - 247826 (Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0); Mynwent Aberfan Cemetery, Wales on a rainy day - Sept 2024 1 (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0). Some images are illustrative.
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#aberfan #truestory #darkhistory #history #wales #1966 #disaster #onthisday #shorts
October 21, 1966, Aberfan, Wales. Tip 7, a colliery spoil heap about 111 feet high on the slope above the village, had been partly built over natural springs, which had been marked on maps since 1874. Residents and the local council had raised concerns with the National Coal Board about "Danger from Coal Slurry being tipped at the rear of the Pantglas Schools." No action had been taken. After three weeks of heavy rain, the top of the tip subsided 9 to 10 feet overnight. At 9:15 am the saturated waste broke away and flowed downhill in waves 20 to 30 feet high.
It struck Pantglas Junior School minutes after the children arrived for the last day before half-term; teachers had just begun taking the register. Deputy headmaster Dai Beynon tried to shield children with a blackboard; he and all 34 pupils in his class were killed. A resident recalled that afterwards, "you couldn't hear a bird or a child." No survivors were found after 11:00 am. 144 people died, 116 of them children.
NCB chairman Lord Robens told reporters no one could have known about the spring; the official inquiry placed the blame on the NCB. Neither the NCB nor any of its employees was prosecuted, and it was not fined. The remaining tips were cleared with a government grant and a forced contribution of £150,000 taken from the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Fund, which the government only repaid in 1997. Remembering the 116 children and 28 adults lost on 21 October 1966.
???? Dark true-story merch (tees, hoodies, mugs, posters): https://gd0ywe-nj.myshopify.com
???? Books on the Aberfan disaster: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=aberfan+disaster+book&tag=thestorybeh0f-20
???? True disaster history books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=true+disaster+history+books&tag=thestorybeh0f-20
More picks: Rust converter primer https://amzn.to/4s47Ji5 | Makeup organizer bag https://amzn.to/4jYgYhQ | Lash extension kit https://amzn.to/4zyWUqO | Personalized insulated water bottle https://amzn.to/3U0cgWb
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Sources: Wikipedia (Aberfan disaster).
Images: Wikimedia Commons. Aberfan spoil heaps pre disaster (Unknown government photographer, Public domain); Aberfan spoil heaps post disaster (Unknown government photographer, Public domain); Aberfan disaster map - extent of the spoil slip (w:Ordnance Survey, Public domain); Aberfan and old coal tips - geograph.org.uk - 673825 (Tudor Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0); Spoil Tips Above Blaenavon - geograph.org.uk - 2872402 (Chris Andrews, CC BY-SA 2.0); Karmsund folkemuseum Haugesund Norway Interior Skolestue kla (Wolfmann, CC BY-SA 4.0); Efird School Attendance Register - DPLA - 4116693d5850686b05 (unknown, Public domain); Drone image of remains of Ysgol Pantglas Aberfan, Cymru (Wal (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0); Drone image of remains of Ysgol Pantglas Aberfan, Cymru (Wal (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberfan disaster burial site (Aberfan Cemetery) (The original uploader was USW15 at Engli, CC0); Aberfan disaster victims' burial plot (USW15 (talk) (Uploads), CC0); Mynwent Aberfan Cemetery, Wales on a rainy day - Sept 2024 0 (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberfan Memorial Garden, Pantglas 1 (Angela llewellyn, CC BY-SA 4.0); Aberfan Memorial Garden dedication plaque - 3031769 afe588eb (Jaggery, CC BY-SA 2.0); Coal tips above Senghenydd. - geograph.org.uk - 247826 (Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0); Mynwent Aberfan Cemetery, Wales on a rainy day - Sept 2024 1 (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0). Some images are illustrative.
Narration is AI-generated.
#aberfan #truestory #darkhistory #history #wales #1966 #disaster #onthisday #shorts
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