By Baris Seckin
ROME (AA) - An explosion at an aluminum-steel plant near Bolzano, in northern Italy, injured eight people, five of them seriously, late Thursday night.
The blast occurred at around 00.30 local time at the Bolzano aluminum-steel plant, which has been operational since 1936, according to the Italian news agency ANSA.
The explosion was followed by a fire, which further endangered the workers on site.
Firefighting teams managed to extinguish the blaze, and the injured workers were promptly airlifted to nearby hospitals.
Medical reports indicate that five of the injured have sustained severe burns.
Arno Kompatscher, the president of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, described the explosion as a very serious accident, saying they are working to understand how this happened, ANSA reported.
The Bolzano Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
In solidarity with the injured workers and to highlight concerns over workplace safety, metal industry unions have announced a strike for Monday, June 24.
The unions emphasized that occupational safety must be prioritized to prevent such incidents.
Last year, 1,040 workers lost their lives in workplace accidents across Italy, underscoring the urgent need for improved safety measures.