Milan Plant Explosion Leaves Seven Burned, Emergency Crews Rush To Contain Chemical Fallout

Milan, Italy— Seven workers suffered severe burns Saturday morning when a high-pressure chemical tank ruptured inside an industrial compound on the outskirts of Milan.

The blast hit around 9:40 a.m. local time in the Lambrate industrial zone. Vigili del Fuoco said the tank was holding pressurized chemical compounds used for industrial processing. The vessel failed without warning. Metal tore open. A flash fire followed.

Workers near the tank had no time to clear. Three were hit directly by the pressure wave and thermal release. Four others were burned while trying to pull colleagues from the area. All seven were conscious when first responders arrived, but with extensive burns to faces, arms and torsos.

Fire crews arrived in minutes and found leaking valves and a secondary vapor risk. They pushed a foam perimeter around the tank farm and shut down feed lines from the main plant. A hazmat unit in full chemical suits moved in to bleed pressure from two adjacent tanks that had spiked in temperature.

"We had to assume a second failure," a Vigili del Fuoco operations commander said at the scene. "The priority was cooling the neighboring tanks and stopping the chemical flow. The injured were still on the floor when we entered."

ANSA reported that six of the victims were taken to Niguarda Hospital's burn center, which activated its mass-casualty protocol. One was flown to a specialist unit in Turin. Doctors described the burns as second and third degree, covering large percentages of the body. Two remain intubated.

The plant operator, whose name has not been released pending notification, told investigators the tank had passed a scheduled pressure test last month. Maintenance logs were seized. Prosecutors have opened a file for negligent injury and potential violations of workplace safety codes.

Lombardy’s regional environmental agency deployed mobile air monitors. Readings in the first hour showed irritants downwind but below evacuation thresholds for residential blocks. Workers in three nearby warehouses were ordered to shelter inside and shut ventilation.

By late afternoon the site was still locked down. The failed tank remained too hot to approach. Investigators are waiting for thermal imaging clearance before entering.