Wales will remember today the Aberfan tragedy . At approcimately 9.14am on Friday, October 21 1966 a coal tip slid down a mountain slide into the mining village of Aberfan in the South Wales valleys, after several days of heavy rain, Liquified and pouring down this black tidal wave would engulf everything in its path in this catastrophic tragedy. It would smother a farm, around twenty houses, demolish Pantglas and severely damage the Secondary School. and the local junior school. The disaster claimed the lives of 144 people, 126 of whom were school children. It was a whole week before all the bodies were recovered.
This horror was felt around the world and was made even more poignant as news emerged of previous warnings and previous slides that had been brushed aside. The National Coal Board (NCB) had been repeatedly been warned to move the slag heaps to a safer location, because they were also close to natural underwater springs.Did the NCB have the decency to acknowledge their blame, to bow their head in shame, like hell no, but we were to learn sadly far too late that the NCB was ostensibly a capitalist organisation more concerned with profit than lives. A report by the government at the time said " Blame for the disaster rests upon the National Coal Board. The legal liabilities of the National Coal Board to pay compensation for the personal injury ( fatal or otherwise) and damage to property is incontestable and uncontested."
The Government of the day was also extremely insensitive to the victims families, and people would have to wait for years for compensation. It was to the eternal shame of Lord George Thomas of Tonypandy that he did not do more to support the people of Aberfan, and it was the shame of the establishment that funds raised for the disaster were used to move the slag heaps from the school. Thomas many believed was more interested in toadying up to Royalty than supporting the people of the valleys. Perhaps what moved Welsh Labour to take some action were the fear of other voices speaking out. Plaid Cymru MP, Gwynfor Evans elected in 1966 suggested that had the slag heap had fell on Eton or a school in the Home Counties more would have been done.
So today we remember the people of Aberfan, their collective loss, a community that is still profoundly affected by this disaster, one in three survivors still suffering from Post traumatic stress, nearly 50 years after this tragic event took place. People felt guilty that they were left alive, they did not feel like survivors, cases of children not being allowed to play in the street, in case it upset other parents.
Let us hope that lessons learnt from this incident can be learnt for tomorrow, and remember that this bitter legacy still continues, what with continuing social and economic problems in the South Wales valleys still being wrought because of successive governments who have made lives a continuing source of discomfort. Combined with the failure of responsibility by the relevant authorities and the appalling behaviour of some parties in the aftermath of the disaster.
Today, however there is very little to remind visitors of this tragic path, just an abstract memorial garden in the village and the childrens section in the graveyard. The sores and wounds of this gross injustice are forever stored in the collective feelings of the people of Wales. Lest we forget.
Cofiwch Aberfan/ Remember Aberfan
On October 21 1966
a ticking timebomb of slurry
left a community scarred
angels laughter forever lost
buried deep in the wounds of history
my nation mourns with anger
bitterness and shame
after the spoils of injustice
drowned a community in coal
left generations in ruin
our tears keep on flowing
never ever forgiving.
Exactly Dave.
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