WALES: MAYOR OF LONGARONE VISITS ABERFAN.

Record ID: 444247

  • Title: WALES: MAYOR OF LONGARONE VISITS ABERFAN.
  • Date: 26th April 1965
  • Summary: 1. SV CAR CARRYING MAYOR OF LANGARONE AND MAYOR OF MERTHYR ARRIVES OUTSIDE ABERFAN HOTEL 0.6 2. SV BOTH MAYORS OUT OF CAR AND INTO HOTEL 0.17 3. LV ABERFAN GRAVES 0.21 4. SV BOTH MAYORS WITH PARTY OF OTHERS ARRIVE 0.32 5. CU GRAVE PAN UP TO THE PARTY WALKING THROUGH GRAVEYARD 0.41 6. GV GRAVES 0.45 7. LV MAYOR OF LANGARONE LAYS WREATH 0.55 8. CU WREATH 0.59 9. LV BOTH MAYORS STAND TO ATTENTION PAN TO CU WREATH 1.08 Initials AA/V/???/??? Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 11th May 1965 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ABERFAN, WALES
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVAC2GNQFZ3GZK6BHAWMNC0E57E8
  • Story Text: THE MAYOR OF LONGARONE, IN ITALY, LAID A WREATH YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) AT ABERFAN CEMETERY WHERE 116 SCHOOLCHILDREN ARE BURIED. THE CHILDREN WERE AT PENTGLAS SCHOOL IN ABERFAN WHEN A COAL TIP SLID DOWN THE MOUNTAIN AND ENGULFED THE SCHOOL KILLING THE 116 CHILDREN, AND 28 ADULTS. THE MAYOR OF LONGARONE, DR. GIACCOMO PIETRO PRATTI, UNDERSTANDS BETTER THAN MOST MEN THE TRAGEDY OF ABERFAN. HE WAS ONE OF THE FEW SURVIVORS OF THE VAOINT DAM DISASTER WHICH CLAIMED 2,000 LIVES.

    IN OCTOBER 1963 THE TOWN OF LONGARONE WAS VIRTUALLY WIPED OUT WHEN THE HUGE VAOINT DAM OVERFLOWED BECAUSE OF A SANDSLIDE. ONLY A FEW HOUSES AND THE CHURCH REMAINED STANDING. IT WAS THE WORST DAM DISASTER IN HISTORY.

    DR. GIACCOMO PIETRO PRATTI, WHO LOST HIS WIFE, DAUGHTER, AND SISTER, IN THE DAM DISASTER, MADE THE TRIP TO WALES SPECIALLY TO LAY A WREATH AT ABERFAN. THE WREATH BORE THE WORDS: "FROM THE SURVIVORS OF LONGARONE TO THE CHILDREN OF ABERFAN".

    THE MAYOR OF LONGARONE WAS ACCOMPANIED ON HIS VISIT TO ABERFAN BY THE MAYOR OF MERTHYR TYDFIL, ALDERMAN STANLEY DAVIES. THEY SPOKE TO RESIDENTS OF ABERFAN WHO HAD LOST RELATIVES IN THE DISASTER.

    DR. PRATTI RETURNS TO ITALY TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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