Archived photos of Aberfan disaster released ahead of 60th anniversary

Archived fire service photographs of the Aberfan disaster have been released ahead of the 60th anniversary of the tragedy, the Daily Mail reported. The disaster occurred on October 21, 1966, when 144 people died in the Welsh mining village near Merthyr Tydfil. Most of the victims were schoolchildren under the age of 10. [1]

At 9.15 am on that day, coal tip No.7 collapsed following three weeks of heavy rainfall, sending slurry barrelling down into the village. The landslide struck Pantglas Junior School and 19 homes. The Daily Mail noted that the disaster occurred on the final day of school before the half-term break. [1]

The catastrophe happened when colliery spoil from a waste tip above the settlement liquefied due to water saturation and flowed downhill as a debris avalanche, engulfing the primary school, several houses, and a farm. The disaster killed 116 schoolchildren, mostly aged 7 to 10, and 28 adults. An inquiry by the Aberfan Disaster Tribunal attributed the collapse entirely to negligence by the National Coal Board. [1][5]