THE 108th anniversary of the Pretoria Pit disaster is being honoured today.

On December 21st, 1910, 344 men and boys from the communities lost their lives in an underground explosion in the Pretoria Pit.

Three remembrance events for the victims were due to happen this morning, planned by Westhoughton Town Council.

The first was scheduled for 7:40am at the Pretoria Pit Disaster Centenary Memorial — a statue of a kneeling miner in Ditchfield Garden, Westhoughton.

The short service was to be followed by the firing of maroons at 7:50am, to coincide exactly with the time of the explosion.

The second commemoration service was planned to take place at 10am at the parish church of St Bartholomew, with wreaths being laid at the Pretoria Pit monument in the churchyard afterwards.

Finally, at 2pm another commemoration was arranged at the memorial stone and garden on Broadway at the boundary between Atherton and Over Hulton

The last event was organised by former MP Julie Hilling and Tony Hogan, an ex-miner who lost his great grandfather, John Austin, in the disaster.

Father Andrew Pastore will lead a short service which will be attended by the Mayor of Bolton.

Another poignant memorial of the disaster was unveiled earlier this year in January as a tribute to those who died.

The replica mine cart is positioned on railway tracks found in the ruins of the colliery by Mr Hogan.

It now stands at the Pretoria Pit memorial.