Three dead, four injured in Italy's fireworks plant blast

Three people were killed and four others injured when a fireworks factory exploded near the city of Naples in southern Italy on Wednesday, local reports said.

After early reports of two dead employees, the death toll grew worse as one of the factory's owners, Raffaele Schiattarella, 55, was also reported to have lost his life for the injuries caused by the blast.

The explosion, occurred in the industrial area of Ponte Riccio, was heard some 10 km away and a big fire also broke out.

The explosion was accidental, according to first investigations which ascertained the fireworks plant to be regularly authorized.

"We lived moments of terror in an apocalyptic scenario ... we reached the spot and found an infernal situation," a policeman was quoted by Naples-based Il Mattino newspaper as saying.

"We rescued Raffaele Schiattarella, but he was in very serious conditions, almost completely burnt, half-conscious and with breathing difficulties," he added.

"It certainly was one of the most difficult interventions ever carried out by our squads," a paramedic noted. Firefighters were also on the scene.

Wednesday's blast was only the latest in a series of similar accidents occurred at Italy's fireworks plants over the past years.

Among the most recent ones, a blast at a fireworks factory in central Italy injured two people in February, while eight victims was the toll of two separate explosions occurred in 2013 and 2014 in southern Italy. Endit