Scerni winery accident: young worker dies at cooperative
A seasonal worker died while cleaning wine vats at the Cantina sociale San Panfilo in Abruzzo. Prosecutors have ordered an autopsy and the cause is under investigation.
A young seasonal worker died early on 15 October in a Scerni winery accident at the Cantina sociale San Panfilo, a cooperative winery in the province of Chieti, in Abruzzo, according to ANSA, Adnkronos and local outlets.
Adnkronos reported that the accident happened at around 5.30am while the worker was cleaning the vats used to process wine. ANSA and Adnkronos gave his age as 23, while Abruzzo Popolare reported a younger age. ANSA described him as a university student close to graduating who was probably employed for the season.
Carabinieri, firefighters and 118 emergency medical staff attended the scene, according to Adnkronos, which said the rescuers were unable to save him. ANSA reported that the mayor of Scerni, Daniele Carlucci, also went to the winery.
Prosecutors in Vasto and an autopsy in Chieti will establish what happened in the cellar.
What investigators say about the Scerni winery accident
The cause has not been established. According to Adnkronos, initial information indicated that the worker fell and lost consciousness, and carbon dioxide poisoning from fumes is among the hypotheses being examined. Abruzzo Popolare reported a different first account, in which he was cleaning a tank from outside, lost his balance and was struck by a rotating blade. ANSA said he was working with a machine and that checks on the sequence of events were under way.
According to Abruzzo Popolare, carabinieri from the Atessa company are leading the inquiries and the duty prosecutor has ordered an autopsy, to be carried out in Chieti. Local outlet Chiaro Quotidiano reported that the prosecutor's office in Vasto has opened a case file.
The mayor described the death as a tragedy that had struck the whole community of Scerni and announced a day of civic mourning for the funeral, ANSA reported. The president of the Province of Chieti, Francesco Menna, said the protection of workers' lives and dignity must be an absolute priority, according to the same agency. At the time of writing, AMUSE had found no public statement from the cooperative.
Deaths at work in Italy in 2026
According to INAIL figures cited by the workers' association ANMIL and reported by ANSA on 11 October, reports of fatal workplace accidents in Italy rose 2.9% in the first eight months of 2026, while total accident reports rose 5.4% to about 404,800. ANMIL put the number of workers killed since January at 701.
The case adds to a wider discussion of working conditions across the food and drink trade. The autopsy and the inquiry by prosecutors in Vasto are expected to establish what happened inside the cellar.
