Archived photographs of the Aberfan disaster, where 144 people, mostly schoolchildren under the age of 10, died, have been released ahead of the tragedy’s 60th anniversary.
October 21, 1966, began much like any other day in the small coal mining village near Merthyr Tydfil, with pupils of Pantglas Junior School preparing for their final day of school ahead of the half-term.
But after three weeks of heavy rainfall, a tragedy that would mark the Valleys forever would soon strike. And at 9.15 am, coal tip No.7 collapsed, sending 150,000 tonnes of slurry barrelling into the primary school as well as 19 homes on Moy Road.
In total, 144 people were killed, including 116 children and 28 adults.
A national tribunal found that the ‘blame for the disaster rest[ed] upon the National Coal Board’ due to a failure to manage piles of waste safely. No one was prosecuted – or even demoted following the disaster.
It was a tragedy that haunted late Queen Elizabeth II as she waited eight days before going to the Valleys village – a move said to be the biggest regret of her 70-year reign.
Her former secretary, Lord Charteris, previously revealed he felt he had given the monarch poor advice to ‘stay away [from Aberfan] until the preliminary shock had worn off’.
However, when she arrived in the mining village in its darkest hour, she was met with respect and adoration by locals as she became ‘really upset’ and ‘had to compose herself’ before meeting those who had lost loved ones.
‘To come to Aberfan wouldn’t have been appropriate,’ said Jeff Edwards OBE, the final child rescued, whom the late Queen always called ‘the little boy with the blond hair,’ told the BBC.
‘The trouble with any royal visit is that you have an entourage and it just takes over, and the rescue work was still ongoing. To have her come down any earlier would have added to the utter confusion.’
And now, ahead of the 60th anniversary of one of the most catastrophic industrial failures in British history, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service have released documents from a precious archive for the very first time.
Among them are chilling black-and-white photographs of the aftermath, showing droves of locals desperately looking for survivors among mountains of slurry and debris. Clouds of steam billow from the coal waste that decimated Moy Road.
Archived images of the Aberfan disaster have been released by the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service ahead of the 60th anniversary of the tragedy
The images show droves of locals desperately looking for survivors among mountains of slurry and debris. Clouds of steam billow from the coal waste that decimated Moy Road
The event haunted late Queen Elizabeth II, who waited eight days before visiting the coal mining village near Merthyr Tydfil – a move described as the biggest regret of her entire reign
Notes from control room calls, as well as a handwritten letter to the Home Office, were also released as part of the archive.
The tip sank by 10ft at around 7.30am that morning, with a coal worker telling bosses at 9am after having to walk down due to no phone line on the mountain. By this time the tip had sunk by another 10ft.
Over the next hour, ‘utter pandemonium’ would ensue as emergency services and miners began working around the clock in a bid to rescue those trapped among the debris.
By late afternoon, hope of finding survivors began to whittle away as more dead children were pulled from the rubble.
Mr Edwards, who later became an independent mayor for Merthyr Tydfil and a council leader, was rescued at 11.15am – he was the last survivor to be found.
Yesterday, the local fire service visited children at Ynysowen Primary School with one of the very first emergency vehicles to respond to the tragedy ahead of next week’s anniversary.
The visit was part of the Aberfan 60 programme, and included White Watch firefighters who brought along a modern fire truck, as well as the restored emergency vehicle owned by Henry Cotton to Merthyr Fire Station.
Firefighter Sam Gill said the service ‘will always remember those who were lost, and we are always here to protect and support our communities today.’
‘Bringing this appliance back to Aberfan has been a deeply moving experience.
‘It is an important part of our shared history, and today has been about helping young people understand the courage, compassion and community spirit shown in the face of unimaginable tragedy.’
Councillor David Issac, Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil, said: ‘It was a privilege to see this historic fire engine visit Ynysowen Community Primary School and to meet the pupils who learned about its important connection to Aberfan.
As part of Aberfan 60, the local fire services has brought one of the first emergency vehicles to respond to the disaster to pupils of Ynysowen Primary School
The truck’s owner Henry Cotton has ensured the vehicle’s preservation and maintains it alongside Norfolk Fire Museum
Firefighter Sam Gill said the service ‘will always remember those who were lost, and we are always here to protect and support our communities today’ (Pictured: Ynysowen Primary school pupils with the restored vehicle)
‘As one of the first emergency service vehicles to arrive on that tragic day in 1966, it stands as a powerful reminder of the bravery, compassion and community spirit shown in the face of unimaginable loss.
‘It is vital that we continue to share these stories with future generations, ensuring that the legacy of Aberfan is never forgotten.’
Lessons learned from major incidents over the decades, including Aberfan, have helped shape today’s approach to incident response.
SWFRS Assistant Chief Fire Officer Matthew Jones said: ‘The equipment may have changed, but the responsibility carried by those responding to an emergency has not, and the values underpinning our response remain the same. Courage, compassion and commitment are as important now as they were in 1966.’
The heritage truck will also be on public display in Penderyn Square, Merthyr Tydfil, between 10am and 2pm this Sunday.
