This week the tragic events fifty years ago at the Welsh mining town of Aberfan were remembered.
It started as a normal school day at Pantglas Junior School but in the five minutes between 9:15 am and 9:20 am tragedy struck, when thousands of tons of coal waste burst down the mountainside and engulfed the school. The tragedy claimed 144 lives, including 116 schoolchildren.
Children in Pantglas Junior School were just getting ready for lessons when without warning, 1.5 million cubic feet of liquefied slurry plummeted down a hillside and almost wiped out an entire generation. Last Friday, 21 October 2016, on the 50th anniversary of the disaster, Prince Charles visited the Aberfan memorial garden and attended a reception with the families of some of those who lost their lives. He also unveiled a plaque in memory of the victims.
It was during this disaster that the Seventh-day Adventist Church were on hand to provide support and assistance. Many were the expressions of appreciation for the services that were offered. A full report of the Church's involvement can be found in an archive edition of Messenger (11 November 1966).
