Riemst (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Riemst, vandals damaged the Roosburg monument, built in 1958 to honour 18 victims of a cave collapse. Mayor Mark Vos called it a serious crime and urged police action.
As VRT News reported, in Riemst, a municipality in the province of Limburg, Belgium, vandals damaged the Roosburg disaster monument. The monument was built in 1958 to remember 18 people who died in a mining accident that year. Vandals broke several stone blocks from the retaining wall, which is part of the original design.
The wall now looks broken and ruined. People in the town are very upset. They mentioned that the monument is an important place where families come to remember loved ones. It has stood for many years as a sign of respect and sorrow.
Who vandalised Riemst’s Roosburg monument for 18 victims?
Mayor Mark Vos from CD&V is very upset about the damage to the Roosburg monument. He said it was shocking and not acceptable. He said that he cannot understand why someone would break it. The monument has been there for many years.
The mayor said the town would fix the damage. He also wants to stop this from happening again. They may use cameras or ask people to help watch the area. He mentioned that the damage has made people think again about how important it is to protect their history and remember those who died.
Mayor Mark Vos said the town would report the damage to the Roosburg disaster monument to the police. Unknown people broke parts of the monument, and the mayor wants the police to find out who did it. He said they asked the police to start looking into the case as soon as possible.
“We are asking the police to start an investigation, and hopefully we can find the perpetrators quickly,”
Mayor said.
The local leaders are treating the vandalism as a crime. They also plan to do everything they can to help the police with their work and make sure the monument is protected so this does not happen again.
The Roosburg monument means a lot to the people in Riemst. It marks the mining disaster that happened on 23 December 1958. That day, the mine collapsed and 18 miners died. 11 of them were never found. For many families, this place is like a grave.
Mayor Vos said it is a place where people come to remember the victims. He said the damage is not just to the stones, but also to the memory of those who died. He called it a serious act.
“The vandalism is a crime and we will do what is necessary to find the perpetrators,”
He said.
In the 1950s, many mushrooms in Belgium were grown in caves, including the Roosburg. To make more room for mushroom farming, workers reportedly cut away too much from the support pillars inside the cave. Because of this, the cave became weak and unstable. This led to a big collapse 65 years ago.
