Wales to mark 60th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster

Rhun ap Iorwerth will be present at the official remembrance event in Aberfan, where the tragic collapse of a colliery spoil tip in 1966 claimed the lives of 144 people, including 116 children. He will be joined by the Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams MS, Aberfan Trustees and other community representatives.

The First Minister invited organisations across Wales to consider observing a minute’s silence at 9.15am, the time of the disaster.

Reflecting on the forthcoming anniversary, the First Minister said:

“The tragedy of Aberfan continues to echo down the decades. The community was devastated by the events of October 21^st 1966, but it continues to resonate deeply across Wales, the wider United Kingdom, and indeed across the world.

“The impact is reflected in the memorial gardens across Wales, not just in Aberfan, but also in places like Menai Bridge where people commemorated all those who died at Aberfan, as well as all of those whose lives were changed forever in that moment.

“The forthcoming 60^th anniversary is an opportunity for Wales to honour the memory of those who were lost. I invite organisations across Wales to consider observing a minute of silence at 9.15am to reflect on the events of sixty years ago, and to do so in a way that is relevant and appropriate to them.”