An explosion occurred at a power plant in the town of Bargi near Bologna, leaving four people missing and three others injured and taken to hospital.
A fire and explosion underground at a hydroelectric power plant in northern Italy has left at least three people dead and four missing, local authorities said.
Firefighters said the explosion occurred at around 3pm on Tuesday at the dam on Lake Sviana, one of three man-made lakes that supply water to the power plant in the town of Bargi, near Bologna. .
Regional fire chief Francesco Notaro told SKY TG24 that an explosion during maintenance work caused part of the nine-story underground structure to collapse, sparking a fire and causing the fire to reach a depth of up to 60 meters (200 feet). ) flooding occurred.
Marco Masinara, mayor of the nearby town of Camugnano, said three bodies had been found, four others were missing and three others were taken to hospital with “serious injuries”.
Power company Enel, which owns the power plant, said it was evacuating workers from the site and coordinating with rescue workers from the fire department.
Masinara said the fire started underground, adding: “The factories are all about 30 meters below the lake level.” [100-feet] depth. “
He told Italy's Ansa news agency that initial information suggested work was being carried out on the turbine at the time of the accident.
“We have heard that firefighters are trying to gain access but are having difficulty,” he added.
