On this day in 1966 144 people (mostly primary school pupils) were killed in the Aberfan disaster. The coal board had been happily dumping huge soil tips above springs overlooking Aberfan and eventually these gave way, sending an avalanche of mining debris towards the local primary school, burying it and everyone inside. Now you could argue that the government-run coal board might have done this by accident or incompetence but the fact that Westminister went on to bill the charity set up to provide a memorial and compensation for the victims for the removal of other dangerous spoil heaps in the area (an act that has been ruled as unlawful now) shows exactly what the government and the coal board's attitude was.
And now the news:
A short documentary from near the time of the disaster:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/aberfan-valley-of-sorrow
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