Two new victims have been identified from the 1956 mining disaster at Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle, Charleroi. The incident, in which 262 people were killed, is regarded as the worst industrial disaster in Belgian history.
An investigation began in 2019 at the request of the son of one of the victims. He hoped that his father could be formally identified among the 14 unidentified bodies that lay in the memorial section of Marcinelle cemetery.
To do this, the investigators had to exhume the bodies and track down close relatives to carry out DNA comparisons. The first victim was identified in 2022. A second and third followed in 2024, and a fourth last year.
The disaster took place on 8 August 1956 when a fire broke out in the mine shafts, killing 262 people, mainly Italians. It could have been avoided had safety standards been stricter. However, the mine complied with the Belgian legal regulations of the time, which were very lax. These regulations were tightened, mainly under pressure from the then fledgling European Coal and Steel Community.
It also led to a shift in labour migration. Belgium had concluded a cooperation agreement with Italy after the Second World War to attract guest workers. Following the disaster, the Italian government demanded better working conditions, but the Belgian government preferred to establish new partnerships with other countries such as Spain and Greece, and later Morocco and Turkey.
The mine was not closed until the late 1960s. It has since been converted into a memorial site and museum.