MESSINA -- Three workers died while working in the tank of a Sansovino ferry in this Sicilian city Wednesday, while another two are in a serious condition in hospital, police said.

 Five workers started to feel unwell while carrying out maintenance and cleaning work in the fuel tank of the Sansovino ship owned by the Caronte & Tourist ferry company, docked at the Norimberga jetty in Messina’s port.

 Soon after the workers noticed that they started to feel bad, they collapsed inside the tank. From here, they were rescued by various teams of firefighters who rushed to the scene, and were taken to hospital.

 Three of the workers, who were in a very grave condition, have died, and the other two are currently in hospital. One of them, Ferdinando Puccio di Terrasini, is still in a serious condition, kept under monitored ventilation in a hospital in Piedmont, doctors said.

 Investigations into the incident are being entrusted to the Messina port authority while Messina’s public prosecutor’s office has opened an inquiry.

 The Italian president of the Republic Sergio Mattarella said, “I join my deep feeling to the pain of the families of these workers from Messina. I reaffirm with strength the plea to do anything we can so that these grave tragedies do not repeat themselves. Every death in the workplace is unacceptable in a country like ours.”

 nkd