ABERFAN DISASTER 1966 …this is short, but VERY serious…

what happened? On 21st October 1966, a landslide involving a coal tip slag heap (waste coal pile) at Aberfan in South Wales killed 147 people. 116 of these people were children at the Pantglas Junior School The landslide involved 100 000m3 of coal waste travelling at speeds of up to 20mph Earlier landslides had occurred nearby but the National Coal Board believed that any movement was slow enough to allow a warning to be given …w’oh – it just gets worse…

the causes This area had had more rain in October than it gets on average during the whole month More than half of the rain had fallen in one downpour two days before A build-up of rain water inside the tip burst the base – this caused 2million tonnes of waste to slide down the valley

the causes Aberfan Tip 5 Tip 4 Tip 7 Spring sandstone coal boulder clay and alluvium Pantglas Junior School Aberfan

Pantglas School It was 9.15am and the school had just finished morning prayers when millions of tonnes of coal waste, rock and water crumpled 245m down the Aberfan mountain. The children were due to start their week’s half-term at midday. However many children never reached the school at all. Fog delayed a busload of 50 seniors and juniors from the nearby village of Mount Pleasant. Some decided to walk and arrived late enough to miss the landfall