Brandizzo Train Tragedy: 15 Investigated a Year Later

One year ago, on the night of August 30-31, 2023, five workers were struck and killed by a train traveling at 160 kilometers per hour while they were working on the tracks in Brandizzo, near Turin, Italy. The investigation into this workplace tragedy, led by the Ivrea Public Prosecutor’s Office, is still ongoing and involves numerous individuals and companies. To date, 15 individuals, including four companies, are under investigation. The five Sigifer workers killed were Kevin Laganà, 22, Michael Zanera, Giuseppe Sorvillo, Giuseppe Aversa, and Giuseppe Saverio Lombardo. The investigation has examined thousands of documents, safety protocols, and testimonies from workers and former employees of the companies involved. It has emerged that the workers began work before the official authorization was given and before the line was closed. The investigation focuses on whether the workers were given the go-ahead to work on the tracks despite a train being delayed, resulting in a clash between workers and the oncoming train. The inquiry also aims to determine whether working on the tracks before the line was closed was a common practice to meet the deadlines imposed by subcontracts.