Three more workers die in workplace accidents as spate continues

(ANSA) - ROME, 15 OTT - Three more workers died in accidents in Italy Thursday as a long spate of accidentil workplace deaths continued. The first was a 61-year-old trucker who was crushed by falling pipes in the port of Cagliari, the second a 23-year-old seasonal worker and university student who was caught in machinery in a winery near Chieti in Abruzzo, and the third a 31-year-old Moroccan-heritage worker who was killed by a falling pylon at a high-speed rail building site in Florence. The worker who died in a workplace accident this morning at the Cagliari canal port has been identified as 61-year-old Carlo Spiga, from Monastir (Cagliari). The accident occurred while metal pipes were being loaded onto the semi-trailer of his truck in an area managed by Grendi. According to an initial reconstruction, the accident may have been caused by the failure of the straps used to tighten and secure the load. Several pipes fell from above, crushing him to death. The 23-year-old man died early Thursday morning at the San Panfilo cooperative winery in Scerni, in the province of Chieti, while working with a piece of machinery. There was nothing that could be done for the young man—a university student nearing graduation, who was likely working there on a seasonal basis. The fatal workplace accident at the high-speed rail construction site in Florence appears to have been caused by a pylon falling while being unloaded from a vehicle. The incident occurred within the construction site for the "Foster" high-speed rail station, located on Via Circondaria—an area extending as far as Via Zefferini. The worker who died—a young man of Moroccan origin in his thirties—was, according to accounts from other foreign-born workers at the construction site, struck by a pylon that gave way during an unloading operation. The worker was 31 years old, originally from Morocco, and a resident of Florence. According to reports, he was a skilled worker—specifically, a crane operator. The mayor of Florence, Sara Funaro, and the governor of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani, arrived at the scene. It is reported that four other workers are in a state of shock. Rail network company RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) has "expressed its condolences and solidarity with the family of the worker—employed by the Florentia consortium, a company involved in the construction of the new high-speed station in Florence—who passed away today while on the job. The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being examined by the relevant authorities." Workplace deaths are a big problem in Italy. Workplace accident insurance agency INAIL said in its annual report that Italy registered 1,189 work-related deaths in 2025. Although this was 37 fewer than in 2024, a drop of 3.02%, it still means that Italy is averaging over three work-related deaths every day. (ANSA).
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