Rome – “Marcinelle: Fire and Remembrance” commemorates the disaster of 8 August 1956 at the Bois du Cazier coal mine in Belgium, in which 262 workers lost their lives, including 136 Italians. This production, by the INAIL’s Central Directorate for Planning and Communication, weaves together history and the culture of prevention, as part of the new podcast Ricordare per prevenire – L’eredità della memoria (Remembering to Prevent – The Legacy of Memory).

From Italian emigration to the Bois du Cazier disaster. Starting from the context of Italian emigration in the post-war period, the podcast reconstructs the circumstances that led thousands of workers to move to the coal mines of Wallonia, following agreements between Italy and Belgium. A concise narrative recounts the events of the morning of 8 August 1956, when a tragic accident at the Bois du Cazier mine caused a fire that rapidly engulfed the underground tunnels, trapping hundreds of miners beneath the ground.

The story of a tragedy that left its mark on Europe. This account deals with the human dimension of that catastrophe, with its dramatic rescue operations and the long wait for the victims’ families. After days of searching, the toll was devastating: 262 of the 275 workers in the mine lost their lives, with only 13 survivors. Of those who died, 136 were Italian. Marcinelle thus became one of the most painful chapters in the history of Italian emigration and one of the defining events in the history of labour in Europe, leaving deep wounds for many in the quest for truth and accountability.

Remembrance as a commitment to safety and dignity at work. That event still holds immense significance today. Marcinelle must not, in fact, be confined solely to the boundaries of a memorial site but must serve as a constant reminder of the importance of safety, prevention and the protection of workers’ dignity. It is no coincidence that the European Commission – in response to a request made by Marina Calderone, the Italian Minister of Labor and Social Policies – announced a proposal to designate August 8, the anniversary of the disaster, as the European Day in memory of the victims of workplace accidents and for the protection of workers’ dignity. This podcast invites us to consider the memory of the victims as a tool for raising awareness and fostering collective responsibility, so that tragedies such as that at the Bois du Cazier are never repeated. ●