Commemoration ceremony at the former Le Bois Du Cazier colliery !

On August 8th in 1956 there was a severe mining accident at the Le Bois du Cazier colliery in the city of Marcinelle in Belgium. An accident with a mine car at the onset in a depth of 975 metres caused a disastrous underground fire that killed 262 miners from twelve different countries. More information can be found on the memorial site's homepage at http://www.leboisducazier.be.

In regular intervals there are commemoration ceremonies on the area of the former Le Bois du Cazier colliery, on which today a mining museum and a memorial site are situated. These events are visited by lots of miners and various miners' communities from different regions - and not only from Belgium. The photos of this gallery have been sent to me by Wim Schoenmaekers, a former miner from the Netherlands, who took part in the commemoration ceremony, as well, and who was very touched by that event.

Thank you very much to Wim for these beautiful photos.

 If you discover yourself in one of the pictures and if you do not want the photo to be published here, please send me an e-mail.

Please click on the photos' small versions in order to enlarge them and to get the corresponding background information. ATTENTION: The pictures' explanations can now be found UNDER the large versions.

The former Le Bois du Cazier colliery (Belgium).

The winding tower as contre-jour shot.

The bell in the background was rung, as well.