(Adnkronos) – The accident at the Bois du Cazier mine in Marcinelle, Belgium, in which 136 Italians died, bolsters ties between the two countries, as it is part of their “shared history”, Italy’s foreign under-secretary Giorgio Silli said on Thursday at a ceremony to mark the 69th anniversary of the disaster.
“The Marcinelle tragedy forms part of our shared history, which strengthens the bond between Italy and Belgium – between our peoples and our institutions,”a foreign ministry statement quoted Silli as saying in an address.
“It is from this shared memory that we must build a more just and united European Union: one that values diversity and protects the rights of all,” Silli continued.
Thursday’s commemoration took place at Bois du Cazier, where on the morning of 8 August 1956, 262 miners from twelve different countries lost their lives after a fire broke out in a mineshaft when electric cables ruptured, filling underground tunnels with smoke and carbon monoxide.
Many of the Italian victims were originally from the Abruzzo region, the statement noted.
At the ceremony, Silli delivered a message from foreign minister Antonio Tajani highlighting the importance of remembrance, the value of the sacrifice made by Italians working abroad and the need to safeguard workplaces and the dignity of labour internationally, the statement concluded.
