The city of Hasselt commemorated the 85th anniversary of the tragic raft disaster on the Albert Canal, which claimed the lives of 35 children and two adults.
The ceremony, held at the cemetery in Godsheide, included a memorial service and the unveiling of an information board near the monument dedicated to the victims. Mayor Steven Vandeput emphasised the importance of remembering past tragedies to learn from them: “What is remembered is not forgotten, and what is not forgotten can continue to teach us.”
The disaster occurred on 14 February 1941, during World War II. After the Belgian army destroyed the bridges over the Albert Canal to hinder advancing German troops, a raft was introduced to help residents of Godsheide navigate between the two halves of their village.
The raft, designed to hold about 12 people, had over 50 children and two adults aboard on that fateful day. “After school, the children wanted to cross the canal to go home, to the area now known as Malpertuus,” explained the mayor. “As the overloaded raft was launched, it quickly became clear it was too heavy. Some children already had water at their feet. The movement caused the raft to capsize entirely.”
Most passengers were submerged in the icy water, trapped beneath the overturned raft. Many children, unable to swim, drowned, resulting in the loss of 37 lives. Neighbours rescued those they could, but the disaster devastated over 25 Hasselt families. The deceased children were buried together at Godsheide cemetery.
In 1999, a monument designed by the late Boniface Thomis was erected at the cemetery to honour the victims. Councillor Laurence Libert noted that, for the disaster’s 85th anniversary, Hasselt and the memorial committee had installed an information board at the cemetery entrance. “This provides more context and ensures this tragedy gets the recognition it deserves,” she said.
