The Fight against Authority

People from far and wide responded to the pictures and scenes reported in the newspapers. Consequently, £1.75 Million pounds was contributed to the Aberfan Disaster Fund to assist the people of Aberfan. The queen visited the village shortly after the disaster and made a promise to help and 'never forget' the people of Aberfan.

After the disaster, there was a Tribunal set up to try and get to the bottom of this devastating event and hold someone responsible. After 2 and half months of court cases, the National Coal Board tried to say they had nothing to do with it. However, the people from the village had already raised their concerns about the safety of the tips but that nothing had been done.

The conclusion of the tribunal was that the Coal Board was condemned for its failure to act on the concerns raised about the safety of the tips. The government was also criticised for not acting on information. However, no one was prosecuted, fined or dismissed after the disaster and no one accepted liability or responsibility.

A campaign to remove the tips surrounding Aberfan attracted little support. The people of Aberfan felt that the government did not support them and they dumped bags of slurry in the Government's Welsh Office in protest. They were immediately arrested.

The people of the village ended up having to pay £150,000 from their own Disaster Fund to remove the slurry and coal-tips after the disaster. The money was finally repaid to the people of Aberfan in 1997 by the Welsh Assembly Government.

After the tragedy of Aberfan, the coal industry improved the safety of the mines and their tips. However, 116 children and 28 adults lost their lives before improvements in safety were made.