Three people have died and six are missing following an explosion on Tuesday, April 9 at a hydroelectric power station near Bologna in central Italy, a local official said.

Three people were also injured in the incident at the Bargi plant run by Enel Green Power located on Lake Suviana, the official from the Bologna prefecture told AFP. Images from the fire service showed smoke rising from the plant on the water. In a statement on social media, firefighters said they were searching for the missing following an explosion in the early afternoon.

Interviewed by local television, the head of the Bologna fire department, Calogero Turturici, said at least one person was seriously injured. He added that it was impossible to make any immediate assumptions about the causes of the accident. Enel Green Power, the renewables unit of energy giant Enel that operates the plant, confirmed the incident and said it was coordinating with authorities.

In a statement to AFP, it said "a fire affected one of the two groups of the Bargi plant" in the province of Bologna. "Following investigations, the dam basin of the Bargi plant was not damaged and is safe," it said. "At the same time, production was stopped, causing no impact on the supply of electricity locally and nationally. The company informs that it is continuing to operate in line with all the necessary safety measures as per internal procedures to guarantee the evacuation of its staff."