Five people killed at work in the space of a few hours: the owner of a construction firm and four workers
In the province of Lecce, as many as 3,589 workplace accidents were reported over a nine-month period, an average of almost 14 reports a day
The owner of a construction firm, Bashkim Rushani, aged 61, of Albanian origin and resident in Casarano, in the province of Lecce, died this morning after being run over by a sliding gate. The Carabinieri attended the scene. The incident took place in the town in southern Salento.
The man was working “on the renovation of some pillars”, explains the general secretary of the CGIL in Lecce, Tommaso Moscara. “The Salento labour community mourns its ninth fatality in 2026”, he adds. “We express our sympathy to Bashkim’s family, colleagues and friends, and our dismay at yet another death that we are forced to record in our region. We are facing a daily emergency: in recent days, it was only by sheer luck that fatal consequences were avoided in other serious accidents that occurred in Maglie, Porto Cesareo and Galatone”.
This emergency regarding workplace accidents is confirmed by the figures published yesterday by INAIL: no fewer than 3,589 accidents were reported in the province of Lecce in the first nine months of 2026, an average of almost 14 reports per day. As of 30 September, there had been eight fatal accidents, to which, sadly, today’s tragedy must now be added. The toll is tragic: over the last 10 years, 149 workers have lost their lives in Salento (818 in Puglia), a figure that rises to 252 when data from 2010 onwards is included (1,450 in Puglia).
“There is a great deal of work to be done from a cultural and social perspective,” emphasises Moscara. “Health and safety standards must become the responsibility and competence of every company and every worker, because dying at work is unacceptable,” argues the trade unionist. “The figures are staggering. The entire socio-economic and institutional system must take responsibility for this absurd phenomenon. A workplace accident always occurs due to a combination of cultural, practical and contractual factors: we need to take action through prevention and training, but also through more carefully drafted laws and stricter controls.”
Worker dies at Fincantieri in Marghera, possibly due to chemical poisoning
A 34-year-old worker lost his life this morning at Fincantieri in Marghera (Venice) whilst working inside a ship under construction. The man is believed to have suffered a sudden illness caused by a substance that poisoned him. A Fincantieri rescue worker who had rushed to his aid also suffered the same symptoms and was immediately assisted by the Suem 118 emergency service. In addition to the Suem 118 emergency service, the fire brigade’s NBCR unit and SPISAL inspectors from the Venice health authority were also at the scene to ascertain the causes and circumstances of the death. As a precaution, the area was evacuated. Environmental assessments of air quality are currently underway.
Worker killed at an aggregates processing plant in the Sannio area
A fatal accident at work occurred this morning in San Leucio del Sannio, in the province of Benevento. The accident took place in the Casale Maccabei area, at an aggregate processing plant. The circumstances of the accident and the identity of the victim are yet to be established. Paramedics from the 118 emergency service and the Carabinieri attended the scene and have launched an investigation into the incident.
