Sixty years ago, on the 21st of October, the Aberfan tragedy happened. In a small Welsh village, a colliery ran out of space on the valley floor to discard the waste from coal mining. Recklessly, and without listening to concerns from locals, coal tips were placed on top of Merthyr mountain. There were seven total tips on the mountain, showing the vastness of this waste that had been improperly disposed of.
Early that morning, the seventh tip had started moving, the heavy rain that night had infiltrated the coal tip, turning the solid coal into a black slurry that plummeted down the mountain at speeds estimated to be around 80mph. The coal tip avalanched down the mountainside into the small village, destroying eighteen houses and Pant Glas Primary School as well as other cottages and farmhouses, leaving 144 lives lost.
Aberfan remains to this day deeply embedded in British history as a reminder of the human consequences of institutional negligence and the incredible strength and resilience of small communities. Concerns about the tip from locals from Aberfan had been ignored, furthermore the National Coal Board had initially refused accountability. To remember this tragedy is, to not only honour the lives lost, but to remember the importance of holding people and organisations in power accountable, the importance of listening to communities and small voices, and fighting for what is right.
Queen Elizabeth II herself reportedly visited the site four times during her reign, the first visit was eight days after the disaster. The second time visiting she was visibly brought to tears from the devastation and grief experienced by the small Welsh village. The Queen had always been known to maintain a composed and strong demeanor in public, rarely showing any sadness. Therefore, this uncommon scene had grown to become a symbol of national mourning. The sadness this small Welsh community had felt had spread across the borders to create a sense of national solidarity and led to laws being created on how to manage industrial waste and public safety.
On the former grounds of the Pant Glas Primary School, now lies the Aberfan Disaster Memorial Garden commemorating the 144 lives lost, including the 116 children from the school.