Mining Lore

The Aberfan mining disaster Neglect by the U.K.’s National Coal Board caused a waste landslide and the subsequent loss of one town’s generation of children

Neglect by the U.K.’s National Coal Board caused a waste landslide and the subsequent loss of one town’s generation of children

By Mehanaz Yakub

May 03, 2021

A preventable mining disaster resulted in close to 230,000 cubic metres of waste decimating the small town of Aberfan. Courtesy of HM Stationery Office

On October 21, 1966, what started off as a typical morning quickly turned into one of the world’s worst mining disasters when a colliery spoil tip from the Merthyr Vale mine that loomed directly above the small village of Aberfan, in Southern Wales, began sliding down.

This is NOT A PAYWALL To access CIM Magazine, please create a free account

(Note that by creating an account you are not signing up for a CIM membership.)

If you are a CIM member or have already signed up, click here to log in

If you already have a CIM account, please enter your username (often your email) and your password.

If this is your first time here, you can create a free account

Forgot your password?

More Mining Lore

Mining’s Bohemian boomtown

Cecilia Keating

The tiny mining town of Joachimsthal was an inspiration for many famous scientists

The miner’s bible

Cecilia Keating

Georgius Agricola’s “De Re Metallica” was the seminal text on metallurgy and mining for centuries