Fatal explosion at a fireworks factory in Italy kills mother and son, injures two workers

A serious incident has been recorded in central Italy, where a powerful explosion at a fireworks factory claimed the lives of a woman and her son, while two other workers were injured.

Italian authorities said the victims’ bodies were recovered from the rubble of the factory located in the Torano di Borgorose area, in the province of Rieti, about 70 kilometers northeast of Rome. The victims were identified as 30-year-old Simone Cole, an employee at the factory, and his 60-year-old mother, Teresa Tocci.

Meanwhile, firefighters said that two other workers were also injured in the explosion, without providing further information about their condition.

The factory where the explosion occurred is not facing such a tragedy for the first time. In July 2023, at the same facility, which is owned by the company Pirotecnica Mattei, another explosion caused the deaths of three people, including Simone Cole’s uncle and his two children.

Last year, the company’s owners, Fabrizio and Gaetano Mattei, were sentenced to four years in prison for keeping explosive materials in unauthorized premises, undeclared employment, and manslaughter.

Despite this, the company had resumed the production and sale of fireworks after obtaining a new license.

Following the incident, the Italian trade union confederation CGIL called for a full investigation to determine the causes of the explosion. It stressed that responsibility must be clarified as soon as possible and that it must be verified whether all standards for workers’ safety and protection were observed.

The history of this factory has also been marked by serious accidents in the past. Another major explosion was recorded in 1983, when six people lost their lives, including three members of the Mattei family.