Aberfan before the disaster
The Aberfan incident occurred on October 21, 1966, as a result of a colliery spoil tip that catastrophically fell. The dump, which was near Merthyr Tydfil, was situated on a mountainside above the Welsh community of Aberfan and had been constructed over a natural spring. After heavy rain caused a buildup of water inside it,…
The Aberfan incident occurred on October 21, 1966, as a result of a colliery spoil tip that catastrophically fell. The dump, which was near Merthyr Tydfil, was situated on a mountainside above the Welsh community of Aberfan and had been constructed over a natural spring. After heavy rain caused a buildup of water inside it, the tip suddenly flowed downhill as a slurry and engulfed Pantglas Junior School and a row of residences, killing 116 children and 28 adults. The National Coal Board (NCB), which was in charge of the tip, was held accountable for the incident, along with nine specific employees, according to the investigation that followed.
Seven spoil tips were located on the hills above Aberfan; tip 7 the one that slid onto the village had been operational since 1958 and stood 111 feet (34 m) tall at the time of the accident. The tip was partially built on terrain with springs, which was against NCB policies. The tip became soggy after three weeks of persistent rain and over 140,000 cubic yards (110,000 m3) of spoil slipped down the tip and onto the Pantglas neighborhood of the village. Five teachers and 109 students were killed at the nearby junior high school, which was the main structure struck. Lessons had just started when the attack occurred.
