Marcinelle Mining Disaster

Date: August 8, 1956 • Location: Charleroi, Belgium

A mining disaster killed 262 workers, mainly Italian nationals, at the Bois du Cazier coal mine in Belgium.

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.