// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
60 years on: The Aberfan disaster through the eyes of those who survived
60 years on: The Aberfan disaster through the eyes of those who survived
Few events have left a deeper mark on Wales than the Aberfan disaster.
Sixty years on, the tragedy remains woven into the nation's collective memory, a day of unimaginable loss that reshaped a community and changed attitudes to industrial safety across Britain.
At 09:15 on 21 October 1966, an ordinary school morning was shattered when a coal tip above Aberfan collapsed.
144 people died following the Aberfan landslide in October 1966
Black slurry thundered down the mountainside, engulfing Pantglas Junior School and nearby homes. Within moments, 144 people were dead, including 116 children, on what was the last day of school before the half term holiday.
On the 60th anniversary, those who were there share their harrowing memories.
Mair was a 25-year-old teacher and had worked at Pantglas School for a year
"What I remember was the drizzly rain, it was misty. I rang the bell to start school at about ten to nine, before the children went in.
"There was this terrible noise, and I looked out of the window. I could see a wall had collapsed and realised I had to get my pupils outside.