On Wednesday afternoon, around 5:20 PM, a powerful explosion led to the collapse of a warehouse at an industrial facility in Bologna, resulting in the deaths of two workers, Lorenzo Cubello, 37, and Fabio Tosi, 34. At least 11 others were injured in the incident.
The facility, owned by Toyota Material Handling, a subsidiary of the Japanese Toyota Group that manufactures forklifts, is located in the Borgo Panigale area, near Bologna’s Marconi Airport. Early reports suggest that the explosion was caused by a malfunctioning compressor, which led to part of the building collapsing. Investigators are still determining whether the cause was a defect, improper maintenance, or misuse of the equipment.
Around 300 of the factory’s 850 employees were working at the time of the explosion. Following the tragedy, the metalworkers’ union FIOM announced a two-hour strike for Thursday, citing previous safety concerns. Additionally, the SGB union called for a 24-hour strike on Friday for all public and private sector workers in Bologna’s metropolitan area.
