The King has paid tribute to the strength and resilience of the community in Aberfan on the 60th anniversary of a disaster which claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults.
An entire generation was almost wiped out when 150,000 tonnes of coal waste slid down the hillside before engulfing Pantglas Junior School on October 21 1966.
The King, Queen and Prince of Wales joined survivors and bereaved families in the village on Wednesday, visiting the Aberfan Memorial Garden, which is located on the site of the junior school, and the nearby Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre.
King's address to the community
During his visit, Charles said it had been “profoundly humbling” to hear the testimonies of survivors. In an address to those gathered for the anniversary, he said: “We have heard stories of heartbreak, but also of heroism. We have heard of the most agonising grief, but also of the most inspiring grace.”
He added: “Throughout all this, and through all the years, your unconquerable spirit has shone all the more brightly for the darkness which it has overcome. No-one should ever have to bear what you, as a community, have endured, but no one could have borne it with greater strength, resilience, or hope. Please know how deeply we feel with your sorrow, how greatly we admire your strength, and how you will, always, be in our hearts.”
The disaster and its impact
The disaster in Aberfan unfolded following days of heavy rain, when excavated mining debris from the Merthyr Vale Colliery was dislodged and came thundering down the hillside. The waste material had been piled high on the side of Mynydd Merthyr – above Aberfan – for years, even though there were numerous underground springs below.
Children in Pantglas Junior School were just getting ready for lessons when 1.5 million cubic feet of liquefied slurry crashed into the school and a number of nearby houses. About half the children from the junior school died in the tragedy, which happened on the last day before half-term.
On Wednesday, a prayer and a moment of silence was held in the memorial garden, where the King and the Prince of Wales laid wreaths, and the Queen placed a posy. William’s wreath, also signed by Catherine, read “in our memory and in our hearts forever,” while the wreath laid by Charles read “in special remembrance”, and Camilla’s posy said “in eternal memory”.
Survivors and royal visits
Rona Price, 94, a former policewoman who attended the scene of the tragedy, was among those who met the royals on Wednesday. She told reporters the visit from Charles, Camilla and William was a “great honour”. “It’s been a nice day but it’s a very sad day as well,” she added.
Aberfan survivor Jeff Edwards thanked the royal family for their “enduring support, compassion and commitment” in a speech to those gathered at the community centre. He said: “October 21 1966 is forever etched into our memory, a day of unimaginable tragedy and loss that changed the lives of families and the community forever. Yet, amidst the terrible sorrow, we were comforted by those who came to stand with us to share our grief and offer their support. The presence of members of the royal family in those difficult years became a lasting and deeply valued part of Aberfan’s history.”
Queen Elizabeth II visited Aberfan eight days after the tragedy and shortly after a mass funeral had taken place. Her decision not to visit sooner was said to have been one of the greatest regrets of her reign. She returned to Aberfan three more times during her life and opened Ynysowen Primary School in 2012.
Later on Wednesday, William visited Ynysowen Community Primary School – which was established following the tragedy to preserve the memory and spirit of the original school – to reveal the Aberfan Memorial Tree. The memorial, designed and created by ArtMetal, features the names of those who died and a clock showing 9.13am – the minute thousands of tonnes of coal slurry engulfed Pantglas Junior School. During the visit, the prince listened to pupils recite poems they had written about the disaster and read memories recorded by the children who survived. “It shows the next generation does care about them, and it matters,” William said.
Among visitors to Aberfan on Wednesday were Dianne and John Thomas, who were a teenage couple when they attended the scene of the disaster, with trainee nurse Dianne working in a makeshift mortuary and John as a police cadet. Mrs Thomas, now 78, said what she saw that day inspired her career as a social worker and then school inspector. She told the Press Association: “It was a very traumatic time in that mortuary, I didn’t go back nursing after that. I felt I wanted to do something, I was so angry, I still am so very angry. They needn’t have died, you know. I decided I wanted to have a career in doing something that specifically focussed on protecting children.”
She added: “I’ve looked up at these little children on the playground up there on the swings, thinking this is their future, Aberfan has got a future because of the work these people have done. They struggled so hard to make this a pleasant place for them to live, whilst not forgetting what happened, which is an achievement in itself.” Mrs Thomas said memories of the disaster could be triggered by certain smells, or a nursery rhyme. She added: “What happened here wasn’t somebody not doing their best, it was just total negligence.”
Tributes from the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister also paid tribute to the victims of the Aberfan disaster at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday. Mr Burnham said: “I am sure the thoughts of the whole House will be with the community today, and with the people of Wales. I visited on Monday and heard how the injustices people suffered at the time and in the aftermath of the tragedy at the hands of the state still hurt. This is a day to recognise that, say sorry for it, but celebrate the strength and spirit of a community that has stood together through adversity all of these years.”
