Three men are killed inside a Spanish WINE VAT after they were overcome by fumes
- Two Romanian men aged 33 and 44 were found dead at the scene
- Another 44-year-old Spanish man later died in hospital
- Investigators said the men almost certainly died from inhaling carbon dioxide
Three men have died inside a wine vat after they were overcome by toxic fumes.
They were working for a cleaning company when the tragedy happened and were found by shocked colleagues.
An investigation is underway to find out if they were poisoned by any materials they were using or the carbon dioxide gas which fermentation of grapes can produce in concentrated doses.
The men were found by their concerned colleagues who tried to revive them without success. Their fellow cleaners stood around for hours hoping that at least one of the men would wake up (Wine vat stock image)
The accident happened in a wine cellar in Zaragoza. Two of the men, both Romanians aged 44 and 33, were pronounced dead at the scene. The third victim, of Spanish nationality and also 44, died in hospital.
The Civil Guard rushed to the local ‘bodega’ (supermarket) in Paniza when the alert was raised and sent out the emergency helicopter.
Fellow workers had already started to try and revive all three men but without success.
The Mayor, José Manuel Cebrián said: ‘Everything points to what might have been in the wine tanks where poisonous toxins are produced but we do not know anything yet.’
The three men did not work for the winery but an outside company contracted in to do maintenance work.
Worried villagers stood outside the premises for hours in the hope that one of the men at least would come out alive.
Spain’s Civil Guard rushed to a ‘bodega’, or small supermarket, in the municipality of Paniza (pictured) where they called for a helicopter to be deployed. The Spanish man was taken to hospital where he later died
Investigators say the three men almost certainly died from inhaling carbon dioxide from the fermentation. The phenomenon is known in Spain as ‘tufo del vino’.
Many other people have died in similar circumstances whilst cleaning wine cellars.
The danger of this gas is that it produces a rapid loss of consciousness and if there is no immediate rescue, it can lead to death, either by falls or by asphyxia.
The bodega has expressed its great sadness over the deaths.
Officials from the UGT, a Spanish trade union, say they want to know if the men were correctly trained and were wearing the right protective clothing