Explosion at the Suviana power station, the tears of the survivor: “I didn't see anything, I only heard the bang”

«He called me crying, told me he was fine and that he was there with his injured colleagues. He saw them leave with the air ambulance.” These are the words, reported by Corriere della Seraof the father of the 25-year-old from Gaggio Montano, on the Bolognese Apennines, who works at Suviana hydroelectric power plant and was there at the time of the explosion.

He survived, was admitted to the burn center of the Bufalini hospital in Cesena for a burn on his hand and was discharged. He has a 30-day prognosis and is in shock. His father speaks for him. «My son managed to climb back out after the bang, ran out with his colleagues and covered his face with a shirt, it is thanks to this that he did not suffer damage to his lungs. He doesn't want to talk much about what happened, not even with us. Let's let him talk to us about it when he feels up to it.”

The father remembers the phone call on Tuesday afternoon and the arrival at the hospital. «They were treating him. We cried together, we didn't say anything to each other. We hugged and cried, that's all we did».

Among the few things he told us was the moment of the rescue. I was very happy, because they all helped us a lot, even the local people came to give us a hand and help arrived immediately.”

Four people are missing and hundreds of firefighters are at work. Divers continue to search the area. The flow of water into the flooded floors of the power plant where there were also oils and hydrocarbons is being stabilized. Investigation opened for negligent disaster and manslaughter. There are three confirmed victims, with very little hope of finding the missing alive.