Five workers died in Casteldaccia, province of Palermo, while they were carrying out maintenance work on the sewage system. At the moment, the cause of death could be found in the toxic fumes coming from the sewage. There are also two other workers involved in the workplace accident: one was apparently slightly injured, while the other is described in very serious conditions, intubated at the Palermo Polyclinic. According to an initial reconstruction by Ansa, the group was working in the sewers located under the Corvo winery. Six workers, of the eight involved, are employees of the Quadrifoglio group srl company in Partinico (Palermo). The company works on behalf of the Palermo municipal company Amap, which deals with water management in the city. One of the workers would be a temporary worker from Amap. “It is not yet clear why the workers were there,” he said Republic Antonio Bertucci, of the Fire Brigade. There is an Amap wastewater lifting plant on the spot. «The analyzes on one of the workers transferred to hospital – specified Bertucci – will probably make it clear what the causes of the intoxication were. When wastewater is involved, there can be different elements, from methane to hydrogen sulfide.”
The reactions
“I express my deep sorrow for the workers who died at work in Casteldaccia and my closeness to the families”, declared the Minister of Labor and Social Policies, Marina Calderone, who – we read in a note – expressed her concern by telephone condolences to the president of the Sicily Region, Renato Schifani. «A huge tragedy. We are shocked. Five young people who died for a piece of bread. It is inconceivable”, declared the mayor of Casteldaccia, Giovanni Di Giacinto, at the site of the massacre.
