Water event
Aberfan disaster
A colliery spoil tip saturated by groundwater and rainfall liquefied and flowed downhill into a school in Aberfan, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
Key facts
- Event type
- Dam or reservoir failure
- Started
- 1966-10-21
Cause
Spoil tipped over a known spring line. Water accumulating within the tip triggered liquefaction after heavy rain. The hazard had been raised and not acted upon.
Impact
- 144 deaths, of whom 116 were children
- Destruction of Pantglas Junior School and adjacent houses
Response
The tribunal of inquiry found the National Coal Board culpable and criticised its failure to have any tipping policy.
Aftermath
Led to the Mines and Quarries (Tips) Act 1969. Remains the defining UK case of water within a waste structure creating catastrophic instability.
Relationships
- Located in: Wales
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Sources
- Peer-reviewed scientific literature — Open-access hydrology, water chemistry and water use research. Public but restricted · Publisher terms — public access, reuse not clearly granted