The State Attorney's Office in Prato
has notified energy giant Eni Spa and nine people, including
managers working for Eni and its contractor Sergen, that they
are under investigation on charges of multiple manslaughter,
culpable disaster and personal injuries in connection with the
December 9 2024 blast at a refinery at Calenzano, in the
province of Florence, in which five workers died, Prato Chief
Prosecutor Luca Tescaroli said on Wednesday.
Tescaroli said that the nine people being probed, including
seven Eni managers in addition to two Sergen officials, face
charges of multiple manslaughter, culpable disaster and personal
injuries while the Rome-based Eni Spa is under investigation in
connection with its alleged administrative responsibility
related to the charges of manslaughter and injuries.
The four deadly explosions at the Eni depot were a "predictable
and avoidable event" based on the results of the investigation,
said the chief prosecutor of Prato.
Tescaroli in particular spoke about a "grave and inexcusable
mistake" based on the security documentation released by Eni and
Sergen, which carried out maintenance work on behalf of the
energy giant, and on Sergen's activities connected to the repair
of vapour units in which an engine was being used on a supply
line to load oil on tanker trucks.
This "generated heat in a high-risk area while operations to
load tanker trucks were ongoing in parallel with Sergen's
activities".
Petrol, diesel and kerosene was received and stored at the
170,300- square-metre Calenzano facility and then distributed
from it.
The plant was connected to Eni's Livorno refinery via two
pipelines.
Eni said the facility had been operating since 1956.
Tescaroli also explained on Wednesday that Eni Spa's alleged
objective responsbility in the accident had emerged from the
investigation.
The company is being probed also "over the conduct of one of the
nine" people placed under investigation who allegedly "attempted
in some way to hamper the investigation" into the causes of the
blast by creating a folder of documents released over a month
after the accident.
The folder, with documents and notes that were handed over on
January 27, included Eni's request to Sergen to remove two
valves, said the chief prosecutor.
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