Aberfan disaster survivors share harrowing memories 60 years on
In 1966, a coal tip collapsed in Aberfan, Wales, killing 144 people, including 116 children.
On October 21, 1966, a coal tip above Aberfan, Wales collapsed without warning. Black slurry thundered down the mountainside, engulfing Pantglas Junior School.
In moments, 144 people were dead, including 116 children, on what should have been the last day of school before the half-term holiday. Survivors describe the chaos: a terrible roaring sound, walls cracking, classrooms collapsing.
Teachers made split-second decisions that saved lives, smashing windows to free trapped children. Sixty years on, those who lived through it are sharing their memories, many for the first time.
- October 21, 1966
- Date of disaster
- 144 people
- Total deaths
- 116
- Children killed
- Pantglas Junior School, Aberfan, Wales
- Location
Why it mattersAberfan remains one of Britain's worst industrial disasters, leading to major changes in mining safety regulations and how the nation views workplace risk.
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