DEATH OF A WHOLE SCHOOL OF116 CHILDREN WITH ITS 28 TEACHERS IN ABERFAN VILLAGE SOUTH WALES ON 1966 OCTOBER 21

             DEATH OF A WHOLE SCHOOL OF

            116 CHILDREN WITH ITS 28 TEACHERS

             IN ABERFAN VILLAGE SOUTH WALES  

                ON 1966 OCTOBER 21

The Prince of Wales will today pay his respects
on the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster .

The Prince of Wales will today pay his respects on the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster .

Prince Charles will visit the Aberfan Memorial Garden today, 50 years to the day that 144 people were killed after a waste tip slid down the mountain overlooking the former mining village.

The disaster claimed the lives of 116 children and 28 adults on October 21, 1966. The waste tip engulfed Pantglas Junior School and neighbouring homes, and thrust the happy and thriving community into chaos.

GRAVES OF VICTIMS

Wales set to fall silent as the nation remembers Aberfan

The graves of the victims of the Aberfan disaster in the village's cemetery
Prince Charles will then attend a reception with the families of some of those who lost their lives in the disaster at the nearby Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre.

The reception will see Ynysowen Male Choir - which was formed nearly 50 years ago in the aftermath of the disaster to provide a social activity for the men of the village - perform for Prince Charles.

Ynysowen and Ysgol Rhyd y Grug school choirs will also perform, while Eve Price, a harpist from Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun, will perform alongside the Royal harpist, Anne Denholm.

The visit will also see the Prince unveil a plaque in memory of the 144 victims of the disaster. It follows several Royal visits to Aberfan since the tragedy in 1966.

The Queen is shown around the Aberfan disaster area in October 1966

The Queen is shown around the Aberfan disaster area in October 1966
Aberfan 50 years on: A tragedy we will always remember, told by the people who will never forget

Eight days after the catastrophic collapse of a colliery spoil tip, The Queen and Prince Philip arrived in the village of Aberfan to pay their respects and meet the survivors and families who had lost loved ones.

The Queen's most recent visit to Aberfan was during her Diamond Jubilee tour of Wales in 2012, 46 years after the disaster. She officially opened Ynysowen Community Primary School during that visit.