Approximately 150,000 cubic meters of mining debris from waste tip No. 7 surged down the mountainside, of which 40,000 cubic metres swept in to the village.
Within seconds a large area of the village was inundated with a thick slurry up to 12 metres deep. A farm and twenty houses on Moy Road disappeared under the surging waste, but the most devastation was wrought on Pantglas Junior School. The landslide smashed into the school and filled the classrooms, which were on the side of the school facing the mountain, with rubble. The children and teachers, who had only arrived a few minutes earlier, were buried alive. Over half the children enrolled at the school died.
Hundreds of people including parents, miners and rescue workers struggled to rescue those trapped beneath the waste. Their efforts were hampered by the continuing flow of water and mud from the tip as well as the lack of space in which to work due to the number of people who had descended on the village to help.
The National Coal Board and its chairman, Alfred Lord Robens, were heavily criticised in the aftermath of the disaster. Lord Robens didn’t go to the scene until the evening of the next day, and claimed that the disaster was caused by ‘natural unknown springs’ despite evidence that the NCB was fully aware that the ground beneath the tips was unstable. The remaining tips were only removed after government intervention.
source
Poor children I have just visited their graves ):
Watching the crown
Same here…so sad.
Sheeeeeeeeeeeeesh
May god gave strength to their beloved ones
I sure did come from the crown
Rip
God bless those children ?
When will people realise that the queen and the royal family are psychopaths. They are totally void of empathy, who care little for their own children much less us 'commoners'. Same goes with their ilk. Lord whatsis from the coal board. Didn't attend but dressed up to be given a university honour. Look at Prince andrew and his demenour, wondering what all the fuss is about. Stop pandering to these ritualistic satanists.
I never knew this happened.. so sad the crown teaching us schools don't..
That was a hard scene to watch, in The Crown
if it wasn't from the crown i will never know all of this ?
The crown got me here very very sad
Heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking
I can’t believe I never heard of this before The Crown…so sad
I came here from a work training course
This has to be one of the saddest events to have happened in my lifetime.
I seen the episode from The Crown about this and I cried during the whole episode. My heart broke for the families and having no justice!
"All things bright and beautiful… All things great and small…"
This so sad
And coal is dirt and coal is hurt and coal is money gone from Wales.And coal is Aberfan fy Nuw…That black black coal is coffin nails…Herbert Williams.Poet.
The Crown showed me I need to look more into my world history ?/ R.I.P to all the lives lost ? ✨
If you’re from the crown say hi ?
The Crown stays educating me!
I remember this and i still tear up just thinking about what happened. I watched the news before going to school and remember the early reports (east coast USA in Maryland)….Here I was going to school…..and here I am today revisiting this disaster. I never forgot what happened on October 21, 1966 I think of this tragedy every-so-often…It makes one realize you never know what a day will bring. Let's remember to love our neighbors as ourselves….
The Bee Gees were said to have dedicated their song 'New York Mining Disaster 1941' to this.
Terrible no 1 was ever jailed or held 2 account .no 1 listened . Could of been avoided .
Some people in wales blame the English for this tragedy but England had nothing to do with it
I'm here from Channel 4 "The Accident'.
Always remember learning about this as a child, but watching the crown gives you a very sad visual of what it would have looked like absolutely heartbreaking ??
My grandad went to that school. He was only 8 years old, but luckly he was sick and didn't go to school that day. His best friend Eli died. RIP to all them poor children and adults who died. ??
Watching The Crown. Brought me to this. So sad was this scene with the children in the School.
Watching "The Crown" and decided to look it up…..this is sad
Never heard of this until I just watched it on The Crown. Horrifying! Crying over 40 years later for these little ones lost. 🙁 Can you even imagine….
Who else came from The Crown? That scene really scared me…
Me too watching the crown. Tragic, so sad
Cried throughout this whilst watching the crown
I came here because of The Crown. Just awful! The people on the coal board were totally at fault! No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
I came here because of The Crown, this is absolutely heart breaking ?
Toda I was watching THE CROWN It made me feel so sad for this tragedy in Wales. So sorry from Central América in Panamá.
Here after watching the crown. To watch and listen to the loss of people buried alive heart tearing. RIP ONE AND ALL.
I came from the crown too.
What a terrible disaster. So many children..
The Crown got me here. Sad
Bludgeoned hell I came her from the crown ??
See wikipedia and shiver when you read the filthy actions the coalboatd took. If alive, shoot them. The thiefs, the bastards.
And yet none of the basters went to jail. Rotten bastards, I hope their children die in agony.
Wow! So sad! ?