Aberfan Disaster

[davieG]

Aberfan disaster: 50th anniversary marked with silence

From the sectionSouth East Wales

Wales will fall silent later as the country remembers the Aberfan disaster 50 years ago.

On 21 October 1966, a mountain of coal waste slid and drove into a school and houses in the Welsh village, killing 144 people, including 116 children.

A day of events to commemorate the disaster will include a service at Aberfan Cemetery at 09:15 BST.

First Minister Carwyn Jones has called on the people of Wales to pause for a minute's silence at that time.

Prime Minister Theresa May agreed the nation should mark the occasion and remember those who died, when she led tributes in the Commons this week.

Silences are being held at all Welsh Government offices, Westgate Square in Newport, Ffos-y-Fran open cast site in Merthyr Tydfil, and the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, among other places.

Rob Williams of NAHT Cymru, the school leaders' union for Wales, said: "Schools across Wales will want to show their respect, and many will take part in a minute's silence at 9:15am. As a country, and as school leaders, we must always remember."

It was at that time, five decades ago, that the tip gave way and thousands of tonnes of liquefied slurry slid down into Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes.

Carwyn Jones said the disaster was "one of the darkest days in modern Welsh history".

"Remembrance is important so future generations understand what happened in Aberfan," he said.

"It is a truly heart-breaking moment in our history and no-one who learns about the disaster can fail to be profoundly moved by it."

The memorial service at the cemetery will be led by Father Mark Prevett and involve the official laying of wreaths.

Politicians including the First Minister and Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will be among those laying wreaths, as will members of the emergency services.

Merthyr Tydfil council has advised there will be restricted vehicle access to the cemetery during the service and members of the public are asked to use an overflow car park at Grove Field, where a shuttle bus service will be available.

A service of remembrance is also being held at St Margaret's Church, in Mountain Ash at 09:00.

This service, which is open to all, has been organised by Rhondda Cynon Taf council because of the area's strong links with the community of nearby Aberfan.

Coal miners from Mountain Ash and surrounding areas played a vital role during the rescue operation, many being called from their shifts underground to help.

A quarter-peal - 45 minutes of bell ringing - will ring out at St Tydfil's Church, in Merthyr Tydfil at 09:16, after the minute's silence. The ringers have all been selected to be the same age as the children who died would have been today.

The Welsh Assembly will fly its flags at half mast as a mark of respect to the victims, and a book of condolence has been opened in the Senedd.

Further books of condolence will be available for members of the public to sign in Aberfan Library, Merthyr council's civic centre and Cyfarthfa Castle Museum.

St David's Church in Merthyr, will be open from 10:00 until 16:00 for people to pray or have time for quiet reflection.

At 19:00 there will be a service at St Mary and the Holy Innocents Church in Nixonville, Merthyr Vale, at which the Rev Irving Penberthy, the Methodist minister covering Aberfan at the time, will preach.

The Assistant Bishop of Llandaff, David Wilbourne, who will address the congregation, said: "This is a time for us to come together as a community, sharing grief which is still so sore, despite the passage of time, and giving thanks for the lives of every one of those who died in the disaster."

Another service was held at St David's Parish Church, Merthyr Tydfil on Thursday evening for members of the public to pay their respects.

[Old Fox]

DavieG - good post - a tragedy from the end of an era when mining tragedies were a regular occurrence - very very sad!

[Crinklyfox]

The tragedy is that the disaster was preventable.  There are formulae that can be applied to the creation of a waste tip which indicate the maximum angle at which it can remain stable.  I have no personal knowledge of the disaster other than hearing about it on the news (I was a child at the time) but either no-one bothered to apply the engineering principles or someone did but they carried on dumping waste anyway, which is worse.  I doubt we will ever know.

[stripeyfox]

This happenned a few years before I was born but I remember my mum telling me about it when I was I kid - I think it deeply affected her and in turn me when I read more about it as I grew up.

 

A terrible tragedy and so many little children lost. Even those who survived were scarred for life by it. Many had the burden of "survivor guilt" throughout the rest of their childhood. I guess the phsycological effects were not so well understood then. One survivor on the news this morning said he was eight at the time and his friends died, and described himself as "turning from a child to an adult in an instant"

 

It did however prove to be a catalyst for improved health and safety by making companies and coporations responsible for their actions.

[stripeyfox]

Really good feature on BBC website - tissues probably needed though 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47

 

 

[MPH]

Its a shame that the magnitude of this event is not comprehended by some people. A whole generation of children wiped out in one town.... Horrific.

[stripeyfox]

Almost £20,000,000 (in today's money) was donated to the victims by well wishers from across the world. In the aftermath the villagers wanted the coal tip removed as it's presence was a constant reminder of the death it had brought on them. The NCB refused and the Government caved in after protests but plundered £ 150,000 from the victims' fund to pay for it!

 

[davieG]

10 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

Almost £20,000,000 (in today's money) was donated to the victims by well wishers from across the world. In the aftermath the villagers wanted the coal tip removed as it's presence was a constant reminder of the death it had brought on them. The NCB refused and the Government caved in after protests but plundered £ 150,000 from the victims' fund to pay for it!

 

There were collections  in every pub, club, school and factory in Leicester.

 

[Barky]

11 minutes ago, stripeyfox said:

Almost £20,000,000 (in today's money) was donated to the victims by well wishers from across the world. In the aftermath the villagers wanted the coal tip removed as it's presence was a constant reminder of the death it had brought on them. The NCB refused and the Government caved in after protests but plundered £ 150,000 from the victims' fund to pay for it!

 

Read the excellent bbc piece on this today as well and it's shocking to think that an actual human being was behind that decision to take the money from the donations.

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, stripeyfox said:

Almost £20,00 (in today's money)ted to the victims by well wishers from across the world. In the aftermath the villagers wanted the coal tip removed as it's presence was a constant reminder of the death it had brought on them. The NCB refused and the Government caved in after protests but plundered £ 150,000 from the victims' fund to pay for it!

 

I have never forgot Anything...Especially the dispicable non action of the Government and NCB..

I was 12 at the time, Seeing the destruction of a village and its future, the country was shocked.

 

Years later then in my late teens that thd NCB and its government quizzlings, left these people

standing with zero support other that from other peoples charity.....We tried with the Engineering

Union, backing then with  the various miner Organisations , and Welsh villages support Groups , to get more action from

Govt and mining authorities..Its probably the only grudge and shame and contempt  I carried all these years,

for the then and following UK governments..For the NCB even now words fail me..

 

One reason I followed the Socialist idea into politics.

Unfortunately that socialist idea has no party that can lead 

and support those ideas..

 

 

 

[stripeyfox]

I'm glad that Aberfan is getting the publicity today. For years a forgotten tragedy. The NCB even tried to limit compensation payments by saying that "poor people wouldn't cope with being awarded lots of money". The NCB whose employees regularly died digging the black gold out of the earth. Who tried to deny there was a spring under the coal tip despite it being marked on OS maps. Who ignored warnings. They held people's lives with so little regard.

 

There is a scandal on Hillsborough scale here...

 

[Izzy]

6 hours ago, stripeyfox said:

Really good feature on BBC website - tissues probably needed though 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47

 

 

You were right about the tissues 

How sad, but a beautifully put together feature I thought. The bit that got me was the letter a few years previously expressing concern this might happen. 

[Finnegan]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/how-people-aberfan-were-repeatedly-12025941

[Wymsey]

Heart missed a beat at times reading that insightful, poignant article.

Very well-written, BBC, you shown there that you actually have a respectful side of how you deliver sad tragedies.

[stripeyfox]

25 minutes ago, Wymeswold fox said:

Heart missed a beat at times reading that insightful, poignant article.

Very well-written, BBC, you shown there that you actually have a respectful side of how you deliver sad tragedies.

Yes it was quite hard hitting. I read it at work at lunchtime and had to wipe my eyes a couple of times. Especially the kid who described being trapped up to his neck and listening to the cries of his classmates slowly getting quieter.

 

An unimaginable tragedy and the victims have coped with the aftermath with incredible dignity for half a century.

 

Rest in peace little ones x

 

 

[Nalis]

Before my time but read the BBC piece yesterday and it was shocking.

 

The bits that got me were the q's determining level of compensation such as 'how close were you to your child?' and the NCB saying that giving a small working class population all that money would devastate the community as they werent use to having much money before?!? Bunch of cvnts.

[Ted Maul]

11 hours ago, stripeyfox said:

I'm glad that Aberfan is getting the publicity today. For years a forgotten tragedy. The NCB even tried to limit compensation payments by saying that "poor people wouldn't cope with being awarded lots of money". The NCB whose employees regularly died digging the black gold out of the earth. Who tried to deny there was a spring under the coal tip despite it being marked on OS maps. Who ignored warnings. They held people's lives with so little regard.

 

There is a scandal on Hillsborough scale here...

 

From what I've read on it, it's probably a bigger scandal- locals had actually warned the NCB that the coal tip may have been dangerous, and were dismissed. Factor in how they were treated afterwards, and in my opinion it goes above and beyond the incompetence and deceit surrounding the Hillsborough disaster.

 

I read of a man who, upon hearing in court that his child's death had been caused by asphyxiation and other injuries, stood and said "no, buried alive by the NCB- that's what it should read on the records".

 

Must have been unbearable to see the NCB wriggle out of its responsibility and treat the villagers with such disdain, given the evidence that was available. An MP was chairman of the NCB at the time, which says it all.

[DANGEROUS TIGER]

I remember it so well, and felt dreadful watching it unfold on tv. To this day, that tragedy has lived with me.