Bois du Cazier: AI Recreates 1956 Mining Disaster as Belgium Marks 70 Years
As Belgium prepares to mark the 70th anniversary of the Bois du Cazier mining disaster, RTBF has unveiled a groundbreaking AI-assisted reconstruction of the tragedy that claimed 262 lives in Marcinelle, near Charleroi. For the first time, generative artificial intelligence has been used to visualize the events that unfolded deep underground on August 8, 1956, bringing viewers where cameras could never go.
The Disaster of August 8, 1956
At 8:10 AM on August 8, 1956, a fire broke out in the Bois du Cazier coal mine at 975 meters depth. Contrary to popular belief, the catastrophe was not caused by a firedamp explosion. A worker at level -975 mistakenly caged a trolley at an inopportune moment due to a misunderstanding with the surface. A defective arrester caused a wagon to fail to fully exit; when the cage was recalled, the protruding wagon struck a steel beam, damaging an oil pipeline, two high-voltage electrical cables, and an air compression pipe. Electrical arcs ignited the sprayed oil, and the fire was fueled by compressed air and the surface ventilator.
The extraction shaft was also the air intake shaft, so toxic smoke and carbon monoxide spread throughout all galleries. Of the 275 men who descended into the mine that morning, 262 perished, making it Belgium’s worst mining disaster. More than half of the victims—136—were Italian, with others coming from at least ten countries including Belgium, Poland, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Algeria, France, Ukraine, and Britain.
Rescue operations were aided by the Central Rescue Station of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais in France and the Essen Rescue Center in Germany. Only six survivors were rescued from the mine during the afternoon of August 8. On August 23, rescuers reached level 1035 and confirmed the worst: “Tutti cadaveri”—all corpses. The fire claimed 204 widows and 417 orphans.
AI Reconstruction: Six Minutes at the Bottom of the Mine
For the 70th anniversary, RTBF has used generative AI for the first time to create a visual reconstruction of the disaster. The sequence traces minute-by-minute the mechanics of the catastrophe: from the miners’ descent to the fire outbreak, from first rescue attempts to the discovery of survivors.
“There are many elements for which no visualization exists,” explained Vinciane Votron, RTBF journalist and editorial manager of the Hainaut newsroom, in an interview with DH. “In 1956, the INR (RTBF’s predecessor) had barely purchased its first cameras for live broadcasting. We were able to find 8 minutes of archives, including the visit of King Baudouin after the catastrophe. But most of the documents we have are photos taken from the outside only and reports used for the trial that followed. What happened at the bottom of the mine, we know. But there is no image. And for many people, it’s difficult to represent what happened. With artificial intelligence, we can now offer a visualization of the facts.”
All AI-generated images are clearly identified as reconstructions to avoid confusion with authentic archives. The reconstruction is based exclusively on authentic archival documents: survivor testimonies, original manuscripts, inquiry commission reports, and photographic archives. The Bois du Cazier archives center provided its iconographic and historical sources for the project. The investigation, writing, direction, editing, and narration were done by RTBF’s editorial team, with the voiceover by the journalist who conducted the investigation. No facts or fictional characters were added to the narrative.
The sequence was broadcast on August 7, 2026 in RTBF’s TV news and is now available on RTBF Auvio and RTBF Actus. It runs approximately six minutes—“Six minutes at the bottom of the mine, to not forget.”
A Dual Anniversary: 70 Years of Tragedy, 80 Years of the “Men for Coal” Agreement
The 70th anniversary of the disaster coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Belgian-Italian agreement of June 23, 1946, the “men for coal” protocol that brought thousands of Italian workers to Belgian mines after World War II. The Bois du Cazier site has prepared an “exceptional program” for 2026 mixing memory, culture, and transmission, with commemoration events running from March to December.
“These two anniversaries, indissociable, tell the same story: that of work, exile, sacrifice, and solidarity,” officials at the Bois du Cazier said, as reported by VRT.
On August 8, the commemorations will reach their climax. At 8:05 AM, the “Maria Mater Orphanorum” bell will be blessed, and at 8:10 AM it will ring 262 times, once for each victim. Official speeches and a flower ceremony at the Monument aux Victimes will follow. The site, classified as UNESCO World Heritage since 2012, now houses an “Espace 8 août 1956” memorial honoring the victims.
RTBF La Une has also prepared a special evening for August 7, featuring the film “Marina” by Stijn Coninx at 20:45, the documentary “Les inconnus du Bois du Cazier” at 22:55, and the theater piece “Cìncali” at 23:50.
Giving Names to the Unknown
One of the most remarkable ongoing efforts is the identification of the 14 victims who were never formally identified after the disaster. In 2019, Michele Cicora, son of victim Francesco Cicora, wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs requesting the exhumation and identification of the unidentified bodies. The request was accepted, mobilizing about 50 volunteers. On October 4, 2021, the unidentified coffins were exhumed from Marcinelle cemetery after 65 years.
Led by the National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology (INCC), the identification efforts have used DNA comparisons with descendants of victims. By May 2026, six of the 14 unidentified victims had been identified, including a German former prisoner of war identified through toothbrushes in July 2025. The work continues with hopes for further identifications.
“It’s important to give them a face and an identity,” said Denis Fontaine, a funeral agent involved in the identification project.
A Legacy of Labor Rights
The Bois du Cazier disaster led to significant improvements in Belgian mine safety regulations and is considered a founding moment for European labor rights consciousness. The Italian trade union CGIL is organizing its own initiatives in Marcinelle, with General Secretary Maurizio Landini attending.
“Remembering Marcinelle means reaffirming that safe work, dignity, and rights must continue to be the pillars of Europe,” the CGIL stated. “Seventy years later, the message remains the same: no more deaths at work, no more workers forced to choose between their lives and their future, no more Europe that forgets the value of work and rights.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni confirmed she will not attend the ceremonies, though other Italian political figures are expected, including Senate President Ignazio La Russa, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Marcello Dell’Utri, and Minister of Labour Marina Elvira Calderone.
What to Watch For
As the 70th anniversary commemorations unfold, the AI reconstruction represents a new frontier in historical storytelling—using technology to make the invisible visible while maintaining rigorous editorial standards. The ongoing identification project continues to give names and faces to those long called “the unknowns of the Bois du Cazier,” ensuring that 70 years on, the memory of the 262 miners who perished remains alive and meaningful for new generations.