Four people carrying out maintenance work at an olive oil factory in central Italy were killed in a series of explosions today, a fire brigade spokesman said. A fifth maintenance worker was unhurt.
Police evacuated about 500 people who live close to the factory, in an industrial district near the city of Perugia, as a precautionary measure. The cause of the blasts was not known.
The factory, owned by Umbria Olii, was on fire and a thick column of black smoke was rising from the site, local news agencies said.