Share to ClassroomKing Meets Aberfan Families, 60 Years On
King Charles, Queen Camilla and the Prince of Wales visited the village of Aberfan in Wales on Wednesday. They met survivors of a terrible disaster that happened there 60 years ago. On 21 October 1966, a huge pile of coal waste slid down the mountain above the village. It buried a junior school and nearby houses, and 144 people died, including 116 children. The King and the Prince laid wreaths, or rings of flowers, at a memorial garden where the school once stood. They also met Mair Morgan, the school's last living teacher, and Jeff Edwards, the last child rescued alive.
The waste had been on the mountain for years, with water springs under it. After three weeks of heavy rain, it became unstable. Reports say workers saw it sinking that morning, but they had no phone to warn anyone. Later, an official inquiry blamed the National Coal Board, the state company that ran the mines. However, nobody was punished.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited on Monday and said sorry for how the state treated the community. Queen Elizabeth II waited eight days before visiting, and people say this was her biggest regret. Today, Wales still has 2,589 old coal tips, or piles of coal waste. Heavier rain from climate change makes people fear more coal tips could slide.
