A mining disaster killed 262 workers, mainly Italian nationals, at the Bois du Cazier coal mine in Belgium.
Marcinelle mining disaster
The Marcinelle mining disaster occurred at the Bois du Cazier coal mine at Marcinelle, Hainaut Province, in Belgium on 8 August 1956. One of the largest and most notorious mining disasters in the country's history, it led to the deaths of 262 miners, many of whom were guest workers from Italy.
Bois du Cazier
The Bois du Cazier was a coal mine in what was then the town of Marcinelle, near Charleroi, in Belgium which today is preserved as an industrial heritage site. It is best known as the location of a major mining disaster that took place on August 8, 1956 in which 262 men, including a large number of Italian labourers, were killed. Aside from memorials to the disaster, the site features a small woodland park, preserved headframes and buildings, as well as an Industrial Museum and Glass Museum. The museum features on the European Route of Industrial Heritage and is one of the four Walloon mining sites listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2012.