An explosion at an Italian energy group Eni fuel storage facility near Florence Monday left two people dead, nine injured, and four missing, as authorities urged nearby residents to remain indoors.
The blast occurred in a loading area at the Calenzano facility on Florence’s northern outskirts, though an Eni spokesman confirmed it did not affect the site’s main fuel storage installations. The incident produced a thick column of smoke visible from considerable distance.
“All of Tuscany is united in grief for the tragedy that happened today in Calenzano,” regional president Eugenio Giani wrote on social media. Firefighters have extinguished the blaze, while Italy’s Civil Protection agency warned local residents to avoid the area and stay inside their homes.
Experts from the Regional Environment Protection Agency arrived on scene to evaluate potential environmental damage, particularly to waterways, according to Giani. The assessment comes as authorities work to determine the cause of the explosion at one of Italy’s major energy facilities.
