ROME, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Tuscan port city of Livorno went on strike Thursday following the death of two workers in the explosion of a fuel tank on Wednesday, local media reported.
The two victims named as Lorenzo Mazzoni, 25, and Nunzio Viola, 53, died while doing maintenance in the industrial section of the port, which was evacuated as a result, ANSA news agency reported. The tank contained highly flammable gas, according to RAI News 24 public broadcaster.
Also on Thursday, local prosecutors opened a manslaughter investigation and Italian President Sergio Mattarella said in a statement that he "stands with the families, the workers, and the city of Livorno", calling Wednesday's deaths "an intolerable tragedy".
Italy's "big three" trade unions - CGIL, CISL and UIL - called the strike to protest lack of security on the job.
Unlike other European Union countries, Italy has yet to set up its own national workplace safety strategy, CGIL trade union said in a statement.
"A worker must be certain that when he or she leaves for work in the morning, he or she will be coming home that night," trade unionist Gianluca Persico from CGIL told Sky TG24 private broadcaster.
