At least two dead, eight injured and four missing after an explosion at a refinery in Italy

A strong explosion occurred this Monday at a refinery of the ENI oil company in Calenzano, at the gates of the city of Florence (northern Italy), caused 2 deaths, 8 injured and 4 missingwhile the polluting effects of the incident are evaluated, local authorities and media report.

The explosion, which occurred in a fuel tank at 10:15 local time (09:15 GMT) and was heard in many parts of the provincecaused a high column of black smoke visible from nearby municipalities. Firefighters, police and ambulances rushed to the scene and area hospitals were put on alert.

“Explosion in a factory Calenzano. A column of smoke is also visible from nearby municipalities, with the regional health emergency system, firefighters and law enforcement present on the scene,” declared the president of the Tuscany region, Eugenio Giani, on the social network X.

At least 2 people have died in the incident, while another 8 have been injured and 4 are missing, according to the prefecture of Florencecited by local media.

He also confirmed that “rescue operations continue” and that he has launched the coordination center that is activated only in case of serious accidents.

Giani had previously revealed that 7 people with injuries of varying degrees had been transferred to different hospitals in the area, including the Careggi polyclinic, which activated a emergency plan for the possible arrival of numerous injured peoplereinforcing the availability of the hospital’s emergency section.

In addition, technicians from the regional environmental protection agency “are on site to evaluate the possible effects of pollutantsincluding possible effects on waterways.”

The Calenzano City Council urged residents to stay in their homes, close the windows and avoid going out as a precaution against the pollution that the explosion could cause.

“We ask the population not to approach the affected area,” it said on its website.

ENI is an Italian company with state participation and one of the greatest exponents of the country’s oil and gas industry.

The plant in Calenzano is responsible for receiving, storing and distributing gasoline, diesel and petroleum, products that arrive at the site through two pipelines connected to the ENI refinery in the coastal city of Livorno.