Buried Alive by the national coal board: aberfan
In this episode of Catastrophe Chronicles, we dive into the tragic and wildly mismanaged aftermath of the Aberfan disaster, but not before reliving the harrowing events that led up to it. On October 21, 1966, the village of Aberfan was devastated when a massive coal slurry avalanche buried the Pantglas Junior School, killing 116 children and 28 adults. The disaster was the result of years of warnings ignored by the National Coal Board, who had been dumping coal waste on unstable land above the village. As the slurry rushed down the mountain, it destroyed the Junior School and homes, leaving a community in shock and grief.
But the story doesn’t end there—oh no. While the initial inquiry into the disaster was swift, the aftermath was a bureaucratic nightmare. The National Coal Board's and Charity for the victim’s response was utterly fucked up. From offering pitiful compensation to demanding the town pay for the cleanup of the very tips that caused the tragedy, the failures were staggering. The clean-up efforts were marred by apathy, tone-deaf decisions, and a shocking lack of accountability. The survivors and victims' families were left to deal with a mess of government inaction, heartless policies, and the cold indifference of those responsible for the tragedy.
This episode takes you through the disaster itself, and then follows the outrageous aftermath—where the real catastrophe was how the government and the National Coal Board bungled every possible response. Tune in for a tragic story, some dark humor, and a deep dive into how sometimes the government’s post-disaster handling is a catastrophe on its own.
Sources
Podcasts -
Aberfan: Tip Number 7 - BBC Podcast
The Aberfan Disaster - Disaster Area Podcast
Articles -
The people to blame for Aberfan and the 'terrifying tale of bungling ineptitude' that led to disaster Wales Online - Martin
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/terrifying-tale-ineptitude-aberfan-disaster-12025544
The True Story of the Aberfan Disaster: Smithsonian Magazine, Meilan Solly
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-aberfan-disaster-featured-crown-180973565/
Aberfan, The Mistake that Cost a Village Its Children: BBC, Ceri Jackson
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47
Surviving Aberfan: 50 Year Anniversary of the Disaster: BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-37541508
Books -
Aberfan: A Story of Survival, Love and Community in One of Britain’s Worst Disasters - Gaynor Madgwick
https://www.amazon.com/Aberfan-Story-Survival-Community-Britans/dp/1784612758/ref=sr_1_2?crid=31KSSZ8J4ES1B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dotRWU926WFTkVbCjoUHLu17Lt6v1BF0fEehiAk2hb99r2uN9Yk_1OzfQ_x_bDscEnFnn4dsKsbkVoOk9Yplet6wnnXdQkg2js_8ZEHpfNZrqmtL45eYAg63y-8EYY3QpJ04Nhr0Wk_6yYgq-ESeFmHXzeLazo2QJCMYvlb4NQREyTne9Gs1encCtwL8UBz82K0ex4s_-wVrodLaaEKeaP5jL6vchx3u6N1ERIuQVF5lanCQXxp0VjgGi7dZp95eKyY6N0jpzwO5cSgVi8e47rFihhofy9JL-nFpM3MV7F4.k4YweVPgOt9U7HVrq9LK0sa_9OYCnk0iauX16kreCG0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Aberfan&qid=1731004542&sprefix=aberfan+%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-2
Surviving Aberfan: The People’s Story - Sue Elliot and Steve Humphries
https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Aberfan-Peoples-Sue-Elliott-ebook/dp/B01M09TLPA/ref=sr_1_2?crid=31KSSZ8J4ES1B&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dotRWU926WFTkVbCjoUHLu17Lt6v1BF0fEehiAk2hb99r2uN9Yk_1OzfQ_x_bDscEnFnn4dsKsbkVoOk9Yplet6wnnXdQkg2js_8ZEHpfNZrqmtL45eYAg63y-8EYY3QpJ04Nhr0Wk_6yYgq-ESeFmHXzeLazo2QJCMYvlb4NQREyTne9Gs1encCtwL8UBz82K0ex4s_-wVrodLaaEKeaP5jL6vchx3u6N1ERIuQVF5lanCQXxp0VjgGi7dZp95eKyY6N0jpzwO5cSgVi8e47rFihhofy9JL-nFpM3MV7F4.k4YweVPgOt9U7HVrq9LK0sa_9OYCnk0iauX16kreCG0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Aberfan&qid=1731004640&sprefix=aberfan+%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-2
Documentaries -
Surviving Aberfan - BBC
