Aberfan Disaster
This collection brings together images relating to the Aberfan Disaster when the coal tip on the mountain slope above the village collapsed on 21 October 1966 killing 144 from the village,116 of whom were children. The subsequent inquiry placed the blame for the disaster on the National Coal Board, who were responsible for the tip, as well as nine named employees.
The photographs show the location of the disaster and the devastation caused at the time when Pantglas Primary School was engulfed by the landslide, as well as the community's contribution to the rescue work.
Seen here also are poignant moments from the aftermath of this catastrophic event as portrayed by the American photojournalist I. C. Rapoport who spent time with people of Aberfan, observing and documenting the weeks that followed.
For many, the Aberfan disaster became a symbol of the many losses suffered by families in Wales as a result of the mining industry over the decades, and the helplessness of a small nation in the face of capitalism.
