Two people have been killed, nine are injured and four are missing after an explosion at a fuel storage facility owned by Italian energy group Eni near Florence, local authorities say.
The explosion occurred in Calenzano on the northern outskirts of the Tuscan capital in a loading area but did not affect the site’s fuel storage facilities, an ENI spokesman said.
“All of Tuscany is united in grief for the tragedy that happened today in Calenzano,” regional president Eugenio Giani wrote on social media.
Tutta la Toscana si stringe nel dolore per la tragedia avvenuta oggi a Calenzano. Ancora in corso le operazioni di soccorso e nei nostri ospedali.La situazione al momento:8 persone trasportate e ricoverate negli ospedali, 4 dispersi, 2 persone trovate senza vita. pic.twitter.com/KCNB8Iat5a— Eugenio Giani (@EugenioGiani) December 9, 2024
Firefighters said the fire had been put out while Italy’s Civil Protection agency urged the local population to stay away from the site and stay indoors.
The fire produced a thick column of smoke, visible from a distance.
Experts from the Regional Environment Protection Agency were on site to assess any potential environmental damage, including on waterways, Giani said.
https://thewest.com.au/news/disaster-and-emergency/italy-refinery-explosion-kills-at-least-two-c-17029751
