ROME (AP) – At least one worker was killed and four others are missing after an accident Friday at a supermarket construction site in the Italian city of Florence, authorities said.
The accident occurred when a reinforced concrete beam fell onto the slab of a prefabricated building, causing the building to collapse. Local authorities said rescue teams were searching for missing people and feared the death toll could rise further.
Three other workers pulled from the rubble of the collapsed building were taken to a local hospital where they are reported to be in critical condition. Tuscan president Eugenio Gianni said there were about 50 workers at the scene at the time of the accident.
The supermarket under construction is part of Italy’s Esselunga chain.
Gianni told Italian TV station Sky Tg24 that the accident could have been even more catastrophic because a minibus carrying children was passing near the scene at the time. He added that the tragedy “will make us all more determined to prevent something like this from happening again.”
Two street sweepers who arrived at the scene shortly after the accident said they could hear the injured workers screaming for help.
prime minister of italy Giorgia Meloni expressed his condolences on X (formerly Twitter) and said he was watching the situation unfold with “anxiety.”
Italy’s three major trade unions (CGIL, CISL and UIL) have called for a “general strike” in Tuscany to demand stronger safety measures following the accident.
“We will ensure no more workplace deaths,” they said in a joint statement.