On 21 October 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed when a tip of coal waste slid onto the village of Aberfan.
Report of the Tribunal Appointed to Inquire into the Disaster at Aberfan on 21 Oct 1966 (LIB/4/19)On 26 October 1966, the Secretary of State for Wales appointed a Tribunal to inquire into the causes of, and circumstances relating to, the Aberfan disaster. The Tribunal concluded that “Blame for the disaster rests upon the National Coal Board”.
Extract from the transcript of logbook, Radio Control Centre, Merthyr Vale Colliery, 1966-1967 (DNCB/4/1/14/3)The National Coal Board collection includes transcripts for all 76 days that the Tribunal sat, witness statements and copies of evidence submitted to the tribunal such as meteorological reports, correspondence and plans.
Extract from Schedule of Tips near Buildings concerning Albion Tip, Nov 1967 (DNCB/4/1/19/2)On the recommendation of the Tribunal, comprehensive information about all NCB tips was assembled, for the first time. Papers in the collection show the work of the tip safety committee.