Key facts
- A worker died and another was critically injured in an accident at an Italian shipyard operated by Fincantieri.
- The accident occurred Tuesday when a fire broke out during welding work.
- The victim was a 54-year-old Tunisian worker; the injured worker is a 29-year-old Bangladeshi.
- Police are investigating the cause of the fire, with unions suggesting a welding machine fault.
- Both workers were employed by a subcontractor.
- Unions called for strikes and a review of subcontracting practices.
A fatal accident occurred at an Italian shipyard operated by Fincantieri in Ancona on Tuesday, resulting in the death of one worker and critical injuries to another. The incident involved a fire that broke out while the two men, employed by a subcontractor, were engaged in welding work on a vessel.
The deceased has been identified as a 54-year-old Tunisian man who suffered severe burns. The critically injured worker is a 29-year-old Bangladeshi national, who is reportedly being transferred to a specialist burns unit in Pisa.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire, with local unions suggesting a potential fault with a welding machine. In response to the incident, Italy's main metalworkers' unions, Fiom, Fim, and Uilm, staged a protest and initiated eight-hour strikes at the Ancona shipyard. National unions have also called for a two-hour strike across all Fincantieri shipyards. Unions have emphasized the need for a change in safety culture, increased investment in training and protective equipment, and a review of subcontracting practices, noting that workplace accidents appear more common where subcontractors are involved.