The Aberfan disaster through the eyes of those who survived, 60 years on
Survivors of the 1966 Aberfan disaster in Wales share their harrowing memories on the 60th anniversary of the tragedy. The disaster occurred when a coal tip collapsed, sending black slurry down the mountainside and engulfing a school and homes, resulting in 144 deaths.
Why it matters
It marks a major historical anniversary of one of Britain's worst industrial accidents, which fundamentally reshaped industrial safety regulations and left a lasting impact on the nation's collective memory.
60 years on: The Aberfan disaster through the eyes of those who survived
Image source, Getty Images/Family photos By Huw Thomas , BBC Wales correspondent and Tony Brown , BBC Wales Few events have left a deeper mark on Wales than the Aberfan disaster.
Sixty years on , the tragedy remains woven into the nation's collective memory, a day of unimaginable loss that reshaped a community and changed attitudes to industrial safety across Britain.
At 09:15 on 21 October 1966, an ordinary school morning was shattered when a coal tip above Aberfan collapsed.
Image source, Staff/Mirrorpix/Getty Images Image caption, 144 people died following the Aberfan landslide in October 1966
Black slurry thundered down the mountainside, engulfing Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes. Within moments, 144 people were dead, including 116 children, on what was the last day of school before the half term holiday.
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