Italian explosion: Search after deadly blast at power plant

Three people have died and four are missing following an explosion at a hydroelectric power plant in northern Italy.

The blast occurred underwater at the plant on Lake Suviana, 70km (43 miles) from the city of Bologna on Tuesday.

Rescuers have said they were unlikely to find any survivors as the area of the explosion is located 30m (100ft) below the surface of the lake and is now entirely flooded.

Five people were seriously injured.

They are known to have suffered severe burns following the explosion and were flown to nearby hospitals by helicopter.

Two men have been taken to an intensive care unit, according to Italian media.

The three victims of the disaster - all contractors - were aged between 36 and 73. Unconfirmed reports say two were from the south of Italy, while one was Romanian.

It is thought that a fire broke out when a turbine exploded on the eighth floor below the surface, causing the floor below to become flooded.

One of the divers involved in the search and rescue operation told Italian newspaper La Repubblica he had managed to reach the seventh floor below the surface but could not reach the three people trapped further down.

Bologna Mayor Matteo Lepore, who visited the scene on Tuesday evening, said conditions for the search teams dozens of metres underground were "really complicated". He said it was one of the worst work tragedies in Italy's recent history.

The mayor of the nearby town of Camugnano, Marco Masinara, said: "Everyone around here cares about the plant which has never been a source of danger but one of employment."

He said that the man who was most seriously injured was a young man from the area who was in the process of starting a family.

The city's chief prosecutor, Giuseppe Amato, told Italian media an investigation would be launched once the plant was safe and the missing people were found.

Regional fire chief Francesco Notaro said firefighters and police "are all trying to secure the facility".

The cause of the accident is yet to be determined, but what happened is likely to fuel concerns expressed by trade unions about workplace safety in Italy.

Two of the country's largest unions were already due to hold a four-hour nationwide strike on Thursday to protest over the issue.

Lake Suviana is an artificial lake located in the Appennine mountain range near Bologna. The lake was formed following the construction of a dam in 1932.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X, formerly Twitter, to thank the rescue services and say she was "anxiously" following news on the explosion.

The power plant is owned by Enel Green Power, a subsidiary of Italian energy giant Enel. The company expressed its deepest condolences and closeness to all the victims and their families and said that while there was no indication that the dam had suffered any damage, the power plant had stopped production.