Fire department spokesman Luca Cari confirmed to AFP that all the workers missing after Tuesday’s explosion had now been found. Three bodies had been recovered yesterday.

The cause of the blast at Enel Green Power’s (EGP) Bargi plant on Lake Suviana near Bologna remains unclear.

EGP’s chief executive, Salvatore Bernabei, said in an interview published today that any speculation was “premature”, saying it would take time to understand a “very complex” situation.

But he rejected any suggestion there had been safety issues at the plant.

Speaking to Corriere della Sera newspaper, Bernabei said works to “technologically update” the plant had started in September 2022 and involved “leading companies in the sector”.

The company said earlier this week that “efficiency works” had been entrusted to three primary companies, Siemens, ABB, and Voith.

The firm on Wednesday announced a €2 million fund for the urgent needs of victims and their families.

As of the end of 2021, Italy had 4,646 hydroelectric plants, mainly in the country’s north, which represent more than 14% of national power consumption.