The tragedy at Aberfan in 1966 illustrates the potential horrific consequences of tip slides. 116 children and 28 adults were killed when a coal tip collapsed and engulfed part of the village of Aberfan, including the village school.
After Aberfan many tips were taken down or reshaped to make them safer. This happened to the tip directly behind Coity Tip. If you look carefullyat the surface of the ground you can see marks from the reshaping of the tip.