Last child rescued from Aberfan disaster recalls survival and lasting trauma

Jeff Edwards, now 68, has recalled surviving the Aberfan disaster, in which a coal waste tip collapsed on a school and nearby homes in South Wales in 1966. His account highlights the disaster’s lasting impact on survivors and the community, and the chance circumstances that separated life from death.

Edwards was eight and the last child rescued alive, after firefighters spotted his blond hair beneath the wreckage and found a pocket of air around him. The collapse sent about 150,000 tons of slurry into Pantglas Junior School and Moy Road, killing 144 people, including 116 children and 28 adults. He has described living with trauma and survivor’s guilt, and says he and others have worked to improve opportunities for children in the community.