Wales Mining Disaster

From wikipedia the free encyclopedia the aberfan disaster was the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip at around 9 15 am on 21 october 1966.

Wales mining disaster. The senghenydd colliery disaster also known as the senghenydd explosion welsh. The story of what happened in the south wales mining village of aberfan is a devastating one which dealt a similar fate to the children who survived it. What led to the disaster in aberfan. The day 350 children were left without fathers the albion colliery became the uk s worst mining disaster when tragedy struck a welsh village 125 years ago on june.

The total number including those who died because of mining related illnesses would be very much greater. What began as a typical morning quickly escalated into. Although disasters are large and dramatic in number they only account for less than 17 of mining deaths in wales. The explosion which killed 439 miners and a rescuer is the worst mining accident in the united kingdom.

It too is a story for which hartley s. Tanchwa senghennydd occurred at the universal colliery in senghenydd near caerphilly glamorgan wales on 14 october 1913. Only a small proportion of welsh miners killed at their workplace. The tip had been created on a mountain slope above the welsh village of aberfan near merthyr tydfil and overlaid a natural spring.

Welsh historian peter stead described the disaster as one that takes us to the heart of the welsh experience coal coal mines dominated the south wales valleys during that period with 250. Wales had become famous for coal mining during the industrial. Heavy rain led the. A colliery spoil tip or a pile of waste material removed during mining was overlaid atop a natural spring on a mountain slope in aberfan.

At around quarter past nine on the morning of friday 21 october 1966 disaster struck the coal mining village of aberfan in south wales.