We survived the Aberfan disaster as schoolchildren, but were told to never talk about it again
In one of Britain's worst disasters, 116 children were killed on the morning of 21 October 1966.
In October 1966, eight-year-old Janett Bickley went to school as usual. However, tragedy struck when a coal tip collapsed, engulfing the classrooms and killing 144 people, including 116 children. Janett was one of the lucky survivors, rescued from the wreckage by a classmate. She remembers the chaos and the aftermath, but for decades, survivors kept quiet about the traumatic experience.
It wasn't until they were in their 30s that they dared to speak about it, finding relief and healing in sharing their stories. Janett, now dedicated to giving back to the community, often shares her story with schoolchildren to inspire them. Jeff Edwards, another survivor, has worked tirelessly to help others cope with disaster and trauma.
His efforts have transformed lives and provided support for young people in the community. David Davies, who was unconscious after the collapse, eventually recovered and went on to help others through various projects, believing that helping others helped him heal as well.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
