Four Still Missing in Italy After Explosion at Enel Hydroelectric Plant Kills at Least Three — 3rd Update
By Mauro Orru
Rescuers in Italy were searching for four missing workers Wednesday after an explosion at a hydroelectric power plant owned by Rome-based energy group Enel killed at least three people.
A spokesman for the Italian National Fire and Rescue Service said Wednesday that it had dispatched about 100 rescue workers for the search operation at the facility in Bargi on the shores of Lake Suviana, close to Bologna in northern Italy, after an underground explosion on Tuesday afternoon caused collapses and flooding.
The spokesman said the explosion, which left five people injured and three unscathed on top of the deaths and the missing workers, was likely caused by a fire in a turbine or a transformer at the plant.
Divers ventured into the flooded level--nine stories underground--Tuesday in search for the missing. Video footage and images shared by the fire brigade showed thick smoke rising from the facility and rescue workers inside the premises, with wires hanging from the damaged walls and ceiling.
Enel Green Power, Enel's renewable arm, said in a statement Wednesday that it would continue to collaborate with authorities to ascertain the facts behind the incident.
The company said the plant was undergoing efficiency and improvement works that it had entrusted to Siemens, ABB and Voith in 2022. Enel Green Power said generation facilities testing was underway when the accident occurred.
Representatives for Siemens and Siemens Energy acknowledged the accident but didn't provide further details. A spokeswoman for ABB said the company was aware of the presence of an ABB employee onsite when the incident occurred, adding that it would provide more information when available.
A Voith spokeswoman said that one of its employees is among the four people who are still missing.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a post on X late Tuesday that she was following the situation closely and expressed her sympathies to the families of the victims.
Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 10, 2024 12:12 ET (16:12 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.-
Six Sports Betting and iGaming Stocks Trading at a Discount
-
4 Predictions for Stocks and the Economy for the Second Half of 2024
-
What Broadening Rally? AI Stocks Dominate Again In Q2
-
After Earnings, Is Nike Stock a Buy, a Sell, or Fairly Valued?
-
Worst-Performing Stock ETFs of the Quarter
-
Top-Performing Stock ETFs of the Quarter
-
Q2 In Review and Q3 2024 Market Outlook
-
5 Stocks to Buy for 3Q 2024
-
Industrials: Sector Offers Investment Opportunities as Performance Lags Broader Market
-
Consumer Defensives: Even Amid Macro Pressures, Deals Permeate the Landscape
-
33 Undervalued Stocks
-
Utilities: Can the Stocks Keep the Rally Going?
-
Basic Materials: Following Index Decline, We See Many Long-Term Opportunities
-
Healthcare: Valuations Look Attractive In Most Industries
-
Financial Services: Amid Uncertainties, We See the Most Value In Banks and Credit Services
-
Consumer Cyclicals: Even With Anxiety Over Spending, We See Attractive Valuations