Accident at a shipyard in Ancona, one worker loses his life! Another seriously injured

A man died and another was seriously injured after an accident at a shipyard in the port city of Ancona. The accident happened late on Tuesday when a fire broke out while the two workers were carrying out welding work on a ship.

Police are investigating the cause of the flames, which local unions said may have been due to a fault involving a welding machine.

Both men were employed by a subcontractor, Fincantieri said. The victim was a 54-year-old Tunisian who died of severe burns, a local union official said, while the seriously injured worker is a 29-year-old from Bangladesh.

Local media reported he would be transferred from Ancona’s regional hospital to a specialist burns unit in the Tuscan city of Pisa.

Italy’s main metalworkers’ unions – Fiom, Fim and Uilm – staged a protest at the shipyard and immediately began eight-hour strikes covering the day shifts.

The national unions called a two-hour strike at all Fincantieri shipyards from Wednesday.

The unions also called for a review of Italy’s contracting and subcontracting practices, saying workplace accidents were more common at sites where subcontractors worked.