At least 3 dead and 4 missing in an explosion at hydroelectric plant near Bologna
Italian officials say an explosion at a hydroelectric plant Tuesday in the Apennine Mountains south of Bologna has left at least three people dead and another four reported missing
At least 3 dead and 4 missing in an explosion at hydroelectric plant near Bologna
Show all 3Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An explosion Tuesday at a hydroelectric plant in northern Italy killed at least three workers and seriously injured five others, a regional fire chief said. At least four other people were missing.
The blast occurred between 30 and 60 meters (between 100 and 200 feet) below the water level at the Bergi plant in the Apennine Mountains south of Bologna. The explosion collapsed two levels of the underground structure, provoked a fire and caused flooding, regional fire chief Francesco Notaro told SKY TG24.
The explosion happened during maintenance work on the electrical system, blowing out a turbine, Bologna Prefect Atillo Visconti told SKY.
Search efforts were proceeding with care due to the risk of additional collapsing on the 7th and 8th underground levels, while the 9th level was flooded, officials said. Divers were aiding the search.
Video provided by firefighters showed smoke rising from underground at the lakeside powerplant belonging to the Enel power company.
The artificial Suviana Lake was formed by the construction of a dam from 1928-32 and located in a regional park at an altitude of 500 meters (1,640 feet) some 70 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of Bologna. Enel Green Power said in a statement that there was no damage to the dam.
Premier Giorgia Meloni said she was following the “terrible” news and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.