Black powder caused fatal explosion at Ticino power plant

Black powder caused an explosion at the Ritom hydroelectric power plant in northern Ticino that killed two workers, according to preliminary findings reported by SRF. The source of the powder and how it got into the plant remain unknown.

The findings are from an interim report by the Institute of Forensic Science in Zurich, which is investigating the accident. The Ticino public prosecutor’s office has released only a brief statement and says the investigation is ongoing. The electricity company involved has also declined to comment, while Swiss Federal Railways said it would not comment on an active investigation.

The two electricians were laying cable ducts and were not carrying out blasting work. Investigators do not yet know how much black powder was at the plant or how long it had been there. A spark may have ignited it, but that has not been confirmed. The plant was built in 1917 and is currently being renovated. SRF reported that black powder was once used for blasting and that investigators are considering whether old supplies may have remained there.

Most of the plant remains inaccessible while forensic work continues. Swiss Federal Railways owns most of the facility, which also supplies electricity to the railway. The canton’s electricity company, Azienda Elettrica Ticinese, owns part of it; both workers who died were its employees.

Trade unions have called for greater attention to workplace safety, noting that four people have died in work accidents in Ticino this year. The deaths have also prompted widespread mourning. One of the workers was an 18-year-old apprentice from a nearby village.