Italy on Friday marked the 70th anniversary of the Marcinelle mining disaster, in which 262 workers, including 136 Italians, died at the Bois du Cazier mine in Belgium on August 8, 1956.
President Sergio Mattarella issued a message for the 70th anniversary and the 25th National Day of the Sacrifice of Italian Labour Abroad, an observance established a quarter-century ago by former minister Mirko Tremaglia. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani also paid tribute to the victims. At the Bois du Cazier site, a commemorative ceremony saw the mine's bell toll 262 times. Italy was represented by Senate President Ignazio La Russa, Labour Minister Marina Elvira Calderone, CNEL President Renato Brunetta, and Ambassador to Belgium Federica Favi.
The European Commission, backed by the European Parliament and member states, has proposed designating August 8 as a European day of remembrance for victims of workplace accidents.