BOLOGNA, IT – In a devastating turn of events, a northern Italian hydroelectric plant was the scene of a deadly explosion that claimed the lives of at least three workers and left five others injured. Reports also indicate that four more individuals remain missing.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday at the Bergi plant, a facility under the operation of Enel power company, located south of Bologna. The explosion happened during routine maintenance work, leading to a partial collapse of the plant’s nine-story underground structure. This collapse ignited a fire and caused significant flooding, reaching depths of up to 60 meters.
Firefighters on the scene captured footage of smoke rising from the underground portion of the lakeside plant. The Italian Corps provided an aerial snapshot of the scene post-explosion.
The Bergi plant, described as a historic power facility by Marco Masinara, the mayor of the nearby town of Camugnano, has been under Enel’s management for 50 years. The mayor expressed his shock and grief in a statement to local media, emphasizing the plant’s role as a major employer in the community. Of the injured, three are reported to be in a critical state, while the other two have sustained less serious injuries.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s Prime Minister, voiced her distress over the “terrible” news and expressed her solidarity with the affected families.
The plant is located at the artificial Suviana Lake, which was formed by dam construction and is situated in a regional park about 70 km southwest of Bologna. Enel Green Power has confirmed that the dam remains intact, despite the explosion. The company’s CEO, Salvatore Bernabei, visited the site and offered condolences to the victims’ families.