Overview

• A May 7 fire at the Ilva steel plant in Taranto injured five workers and led to the judicial seizure of blast furnace 1, halting its use.
• Minister Adolfo Urso accused the Prosecutor’s Office of providing false information by denying that urgent safety requests were submitted to protect the furnace.
• Documents reveal that Acciaierie d’Italia filed two urgent requests for a critical safety operation on May 7 and 9, which were denied until May 10, delaying essential interventions.
• The furnace’s prolonged shutdown has disrupted production, caused layoffs, and jeopardized ongoing sale negotiations with Baku Steel, a key part of Italy's steel privatization strategy.
• Urso called for institutional cooperation to safeguard the plant’s future, warning that mismanagement risks crippling the national steel sector and thousands of jobs.