The Aberfan disaster struck in the Welsh town of the same name in 1966 and resulted in several deaths. The tragic incident still haunts the residents of the village who have fought decades for justice.
Horror of Aberfan disaster!
The people of Aberfan are reliving the events that happened more than five decades ago. Aberfan is situated in South Wales.
It made headlines all over the world when a mountain consisting of coal waste collapsed in top of the village. The death toll included dozens of children and 28 adult persons.
People from all over the world made contribution for helping the people of the devastated village. But the people of the shattered village had to fight years in order to get justice.
The cause of the Aberfan disaster was a buildup and accumulation of water inside a rock that suddenly started going downhill. Along the way down, it turned into a slurry.
The entire village was covered in debris within a few minutes. While the classrooms immediately became flooded killing young children and their teachers. There were gigantic efforts for rescuing the affected people.
However, rather than lending help, the large number of people who had come to the village only hampered the work. It also delayed mine rescue workers. Only a few people could be saved.
The aftermath of Aberfan disaster!
There was an official inquiry into the event which put the blame on the National Coal Board. The blame included negligence of the extreme.
While, the chairman of the National Coal Board, Lord Robens was accused of giving misleading statements.
In this context, the parliament passed new bills for more protection of people in quarries and mines.
The Martin Jones and Lain McLean make it clear that there were wide ranging effects of the disaster.
It also stated that the grief and shock of the affected people was intensified by the media and insensitive behavior. The effects of the disaster remained very evident in Aberfan even years after the event.
