Enormous bang near Florence At least two dead after explosion at oil refinery
An explosion occurred on the site of a fuel storage facility near Florence. Local residents report an enormous bang. The search is on for more victims.
09.12.2024, 18:49
dpa
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- An explosion occurs at a refinery near Florence.
- At least two people are killed and several are injured.
- The site is a fuel storage facility belonging to the Italian energy company Eni.
At least two workers have been killed in an explosion at a fuel depot in Tuscany. According to the Italian authorities, nine people were injured, some of them seriously. It is feared that the number of victims could rise further: Several hours after the accident in the municipality of Calenzano near the major city of Florence, three workers were still missing.
The site is a fuel storage facility belonging to the Italian energy company Eni, which in turn is connected to a refinery. It was initially reported that the accident had occurred on the refinery site. According to the company, it is still unclear how the accident occurred.
The fatalities and missing persons are workers aged between 45 and 62. One of them - a 45-year-old man - was born in Germany but has Italian citizenship. The explosion occurred shortly before 10.30 am. Local residents reported an enormous bang that could be heard for many kilometers.
Fire department deployed in large numbers
"We heard a huge explosion. All the windows shattered and our shelves fell to the ground," the Ansa news agency quoted an employee of a nearby factory as saying. Other neighbors had initially feared an earthquake. The fire department was deployed with a large contingent.
Video footage showed a thick, black column of smoke rising into the sky above the scene of the accident. It could also be seen from far away. Residents were asked to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.