The life prognosis of the patient involved in the industrial accident in Casteldaccia and hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Emergency Department of the Polyclinic remains reserved.
Over the last 24 hours, the team directed by Professor Antonino Giarratano carried out two “windows” in sedation, keeping the respiratory function under control, still supported mechanically, and some responses aimed at simple orders were recorded.
The University Hospital categorically denies the news that appeared in some newspapers about “a patient’s awakening from a coma” and invites us to use official sources to verify the information.
The day of the autopsies on the bodies of the workers
The autopsies of the 5 workers who died on Monday while working on the Casteldaccia sewerage system in the Palermo area have been moved to today, Thursday 9 May, at the Palermo Polyclinic. The Termini Imerese Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the dramatic accident at work for multiple manslaughter. The setting of medico-legal exams, unrepeatable investigations, could lead to the first warnings: a necessary act to give the people involved in the matter in various capacities the possibility of appointing their own consultants so that they can participate in the autopsies.
The privileged lead in the investigations
According to initial reconstructions, the victims worked for the Quadrifoglio Group which had been subcontracted by Tek for the maintenance work on the sewerage network of Casteldaccia and other municipalities, work outsourced by Amap, the municipal company of the capital, and should not have fallen into the plant but they would have had to proceed with clearing the manholes from the street.
The vacuum truck probe, which they should have lowered from the outside – the manhole had been covered with asphalt in previous road works – would have blocked and the workers would have asked permission from the Amap works director to go underground. The cap that prevented the probe from purging would have blown and the first 3 employees would have been hit by sewage and lethal gas, would have lost consciousness and would have fallen into the tank below.
The attempt to rescue the first victims
Three other workers would have come down to help them. Two others are dead, one is dying. The investigations aim to clarify any security gaps – none of the workers were wearing masks -, with what criteria the staff who were not specialized and would not have followed safety courses were selected and why the Amap technician authorized the victims to go down to the room of the plant. The chain of responsibility in supervising work subcontracted to the company also needs to be clarified.
