Two people have died, nine others are injured, and three remain missing following an explosion at an Eni plant near Florence.
“The rescue and relief operation is still ongoing,” stated Florence’s prefecture, which convened an emergency rescue unit meeting to coordinate efforts.
Giani provided an update on the injured (at the time), saying: “The situation of those transported to our hospitals is constantly evolving. Currently, there are two green codes in Careggi, one red code for burns in Careggi, one yellow code for head trauma in Careggi, one red code at the Major Burns Centre in Pisa, and two yellow codes at Prato hospital.”
The explosion occurred at a fuel storage site, Eni confirmed in a statement.
Two people have died, nine are injured, and three remain missing following an explosion at an Eni fuel depot near Florence on Monday.
Staff at nearby plants described the force of the blast. “It was like a bomb had gone off,” ANSA reported. They added their windows had been blown in, leaving them shaken.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze within three hours of the explosion, which occurred at the Calenzano facility. The Florence prefecture advised residents within a five-kilometre radius of the site to keep their windows closed as a precaution.
Disruption on motorway and trains
The explosion caused significant disruptions. The Calenzano exit of the A1 motorway was closed, while traffic on the Florence-Bologna and Florence-Prato-Pistoia rail lines was suspended. Rail operator RFI reported cancellations and service limitations as a result.
The 170,300-square-metre Calenzano depot receives and stores petrol, diesel, and kerosene, which are distributed from the site. It is connected to Eni’s Livorno refinery via two pipelines.
Eni confirmed that the fire was contained to the loading shelter area and did not affect the storage tanks. “The impacts and causes are being immediately verified. Updates will follow,” the company said in a statement.
