King Charles leads tributes as Aberfan marks 60 years since disaster
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The gist
King Charles III led tributes in Aberfan on the 60th anniversary of the 1966 coal tip collapse that killed 144 people.
Survivors still point to unpaid injustices, and no one was ever prosecuted.
Background
Aberfan is a village near Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales, where coal waste from the nearby Merthyr Vale Colliery had been piled on the hillside above the village for years despite complaints. On 21 October 1966, after days of heavy rain, a coal waste tip collapsed and slurry engulfed Pantglas Junior School and nearby houses, killing 116 children and 28 adults. King Charles III is the British monarch who led tributes at the 60th anniversary; the anniversary has renewed attention on the disaster's aftermath, including a 1967 official inquiry that found the National Coal Board responsible but led to no prosecutions.
How it unfolded
- 1963A petition from Pantglas school was among complaints about the dangers looming above the village.
- Oct 21, 1966A coal waste tip collapsed and coal slurry engulfed Pantglas Junior School and nearby houses in Aberfan, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
- Oct 21, 1966At 9am a coal worker spotted the tip had begun sinking and tried to warn his bosses, but the order to stop adding to the coal heap came too late, with 240 pupils already heading into classrooms.
- 1967An official inquiry found the National Coal Board responsible for the Aberfan disaster, but no one has ever been prosecuted.
- 1997The British government paid back the £150,000 to the ADMF (Aberfan Disaster Memorial Fund).
- 2007The Welsh government donated £1.5 million to the fund and £500,000 to the Aberfan Education Charity as recompense for money wrongly taken.
- 2023Prince William previously met survivors of the Aberfan disaster when he visited with the Princess of Wales.
- Oct 19, 2026 (week of)British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited the village on Monday to pay tribute to the community's strength and resilience.
- Oct 21, 2026King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Prince William visited the Aberfan Memorial Garden and the Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre, laid wreaths and a posy with the last surviving teacher, and a prayer and moment of silence were held.
- Oct 21, 2026William visited a primary school to unveil the Aberfan Memorial Tree; First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth greeted crowds, and pupils at Ynysowen Community Primary School gathered to pay their respects.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- King Charles III called it the 'most tragic of days imaginable' and said it was 'profoundly humbling' to hear survivors' stories of heartbreak and heroism.
- Official
- Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he heard how injustices suffered at the time and in the aftermath 'at the hands of the state still hurt'.
- Expert
- Professor Iain McLean, co-author of a book on Aberfan, questioned why nobody was ever prosecuted and cited the government's 'incomprehensible failure to sack Lord Robens and his senior directors'.
- Support
- Survivor Jeff Edwards thanked the royal family for their 'enduring support, compassion and commitment'.