Tragic Workplace Accident in Colleferro: Worker Dies Crushed by Transformer
Colleferro, January 13 – A 40-year-old worker, identified as E.T., tragically lost his life yesterday afternoon in Colleferro, a town near Rome, after being crushed by a large transformer. The man, an Italian resident of the area, married with two children, was operating a forklift at the time of the incident.
The alarm was raised around 2:00 PM when emergency services were called to a workplace accident in the Piombinara area, just a few kilometers from Colleferro. Firefighters from Colleferro 16/A, accompanied by a crane from Rustica, quickly arrived at the scene. However, medical personnel from 118, who also responded, could only confirm the worker’s death.
Dynamic of the Accident Under Investigation
According to initial reconstructions, the worker was moving a 5-ton transformer with a forklift when the heavy equipment collapsed, crushing him. Carabinieri from Colleferro have launched an investigation to determine the exact dynamics of the tragic accident. They are examining the worker’s precise position at the moment of the collapse and assessing the safety conditions under which the operation was being carried out. Early indications suggest the man may have dismounted the forklift, possibly to remove the wheels of the old transformer, before it unexpectedly fell on him.
The area where the incident occurred is known for its numerous industrial facilities, and the company involved in the tragedy specializes in construction materials. The site has been sealed off, and labor inspectors are also on-site to conduct their investigations.
Another “White Death” Adds to Growing Toll
This incident marks the third workplace fatality in Italy within three days, a grim statistic that highlights the ongoing issue of “white deaths” – as workplace accidents are often referred to in Italy. Just recently, a security guard died in Cortina while inspecting Olympic construction sites, and another worker fell at the former Ilva plant in Taranto.
Colleferro Mayor Declares City Mourning
Pierluigi Sanna, the mayor of Colleferro, expressed profound sorrow over the incident. In a social media post, he stated, “It devastates us to witness another white death in our city. The young man killed this afternoon in the furnaces of viale Perfumo, among the Piombinara establishments, lost his life just a few hundred meters from via Caduti sul Lavoro: a tragic and bitter irony.”
The mayor announced that a day of city mourning would be declared on the day of the funeral, jointly with Silvia Carocci, the mayor of Artena.
Unions Call for Renewed Focus on Safety
Rosita Pelecca, General Secretary of CISL Roma Capitale Rieti, released a statement expressing deep concern. “We are truly speechless; there is no respite, no end to this massacre that stains the world of work, and words sound increasingly vain and empty,” she said. “We cannot go on like this; we cannot allow safety, even in 2026, to remain a chimera that we pursue without ever achieving. Let’s all take a step back and put it back at the center of our proposals and intentions that we want to implement immediately.” Pelecca also extended sincere condolences to the family and colleagues of the victim.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of workplace safety and the urgent need for robust measures to prevent such tragedies.
Source: https://roma.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_gennaio_13/colleferro-incidente-sul-lavoro-operaio-di-40-anni-muore-schiacciato-da-un-trasformatore-600b5cb9-0eb7-4e54-b5c5-62bd5136fxlk.shtml
