Aberfan Disaster Wales – What Happened on 21st October 1966

When Was the Aberfan Disaster?

The Aberfan Disaster occurred on Friday, 21st October 1966, at 9:13am, in the small mining village of Aberfan, South Wales. On that morning, a catastrophic coal tip landslide killed 116 children and 28 adults, making it one of the worst disasters in Welsh history.

A clock recovered from the wreckage stopped at 9:13am, forever marking the moment the colliery spoil tip collapsed and engulfed part of the village.

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The Official Enquiry later concluded that the tragedy “could and should have been prevented” and was the result of “ignorance, ineptitude and a failure in communications.”
Aberfan is remembered — and never forgotten.

Where Is Aberfan?

Aberfan is a former coal mining village in the Taff Valley, approximately:

• 4 miles south of Merthyr Tydfil.
• 20 miles north of Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
• Sat nav postcode: CF48 4QA.

The village is located below several coal spoil tips on the slopes of Mynydd Merthyr, an area known to contain underground springs, a critical factor in the disaster.

What Happened at Aberfan?

Aberfan Landslide

On the morning of 21st October 1966, just minutes after pupils at Pantglas Junior School returned to their classrooms following assembly, Tip No. 7 collapsed.

The children had been singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” Had the collapse occurred just minutes earlier, many lives may have been spared.

More than 100,000 tonnes of coal waste, shale, and water formed a fast-moving slurry, up to 40 feet high, travelling downhill at over 80 miles per hour. The landslide engulfed Pantglas Junior School and 18 nearby houses almost instantly.

The Aberfan Clock – Stopped at 9:13am

A clock was later found in the wreckage of one of the destroyed houses. It had stopped at 9:13am, recording the exact time of the disaster.

In January 2022, more than 50 years later, the iconic Aberfan Clock was donated to St Fagans National Museum of History. It had been carefully preserved by Mike Flynn, son of a first responder who attended the scene on the day.

The clock now forms part of the museum’s permanent collection, ensuring future generations remember one of Wales’ darkest days.

Casualties – How Many People Died at Aberfan?

The human cost of the disaster was devastating:

• 116 children.
• 28 adults.
• Total deaths: 144.

Of the 240 children attending the school, nearly half were killed. Most of the children were aged 7 to 10 years old.

Additional details:

• 109 children died inside Pantglas Junior School.
• 5 teachers were among the adult victims.
• 29 children and 6 adults were injured.
• Victims ranged in age from 3 months to 82 years.

Most of the victims were buried together at Bryntâf Cemetery on 27th October 1966, in a funeral attended by more than 2,000 people.

Rescue Efforts

Within minutes of the landslide, local residents rushed to the school and began digging with bare hands, garden tools, and whatever equipment they could find.

Key moments:

• 9:25am – Police in Merthyr Tydfil receive the first emergency call.
• Fire and ambulance services are alerted almost immediately.
• Local miners arrive within 20 minutes, having been raised from underground.
• Mining managers organised the digging to prevent further collapses.

The first injured children reached St Tydfil’s Hospital at 9:50am. All rescued survivors arrived before 11:00am.

Eight-year-old Jeff Edwards was the last person rescued alive, at approximately 11:00am. No further survivors were found after this time.

Around 2,000 emergency workers and volunteers took part in the rescue operation.
Despite heroic efforts, it took nearly a week to recover all the victims.

Media Coverage and Volunteers

The 10:30am BBC news bulletin led with the Aberfan disaster. As news spread, thousands of volunteers travelled to the village to help, though their presence sometimes hindered the carefully controlled rescue work led by miners and emergency services. Images of the devastation were broadcast around the world.

The Official Enquiry into the Aberfan Disaster

The official enquiry began on 26 October 1966 and lasted 76 days. It examined over 300 exhibits and heard evidence from 136 witnesses.

The findings were damning.

Key conclusions:

• The disaster was caused by a total absence of a tipping policy.
• The National Coal Board (NCB) was held responsible.
• Nine NCB employees were named as culpable.

Lord Justice Davies described the events as:

“A terrifying tale of bungling ineptitude… failure to heed clear warnings, and total lack of direction from above.”

The enquiry concluded:

“The Aberfan disaster could and should have been prevented.”

Lord Robens, Chairman of the NCB, offered his resignation, but it was rejected. He initially claimed the Coal Board had no obligation to remove the remaining tips. They were only removed after a £200,000 government grant was provided.

The Disaster Fund and Injustice

Public donations raised £1.75 million for the Aberfan Disaster Fund.

In a deeply controversial move, the UK government pressured the fund to contribute £150,000 towards removing the remaining coal tips, effectively charging the victims for safety improvements.

This injustice was finally corrected in 1997, when the Tony Blair government repaid the £150,000 in full.

Aberfan Memorial

Today, Aberfan Memorial Garden and the graves at Bryntâf Cemetery stand as places of remembrance.

They honour the children and adults who lost their lives — and serve as a lasting reminder of the consequences of negligence.

Conclusion – Remembering Aberfan

The Aberfan disaster was not an unavoidable accident. As the Official Enquiry stated, it “could and should have been prevented.”

It remains a powerful lesson in responsibility, accountability, and the human cost of institutional failure.

Aberfan - remembered, but never forgotten.

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