It was located on the stream of the same name, which flows from the left into the Setta River (the right tributary of the Reno), and fed the Santa Maria power plant.

And in 1932, to the west of the Setta watershed, on the Limentra di Treppio river (another right tributary of Reno), the Suviana reservoir was built,[2] originally intended only to feed its own hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 27 MW.

[5] The prefect of Bologna, Attilio Visconti, said the explosion originated from a turbine located eight levels down and resulted in a fire, and the floor below it flooded.

In the immediate aftermath, three workers were killed, including two from the southern cities of Taranto and Messina and a man from Romania who resided in Settimo Torinese.

[5] The explosion contributed to concerns about work safety in Italy, with two of the country's largest unions renewing calls for planned nationwide four hour-strikes on April 10.

[15] More than two years before the explosion, the Italian Labour Union issued warnings about safety risks in the hydroelectric power station.

[14] However, Enel Energy denied such reports and said that it had received appreciation from labor unions in 2022 for the company's approach to training, safety, and risk assessment.

[17] The company also initiated an internal fundraising campaign to provide employees with the opportunity to express their condolences and solidarity with the families of the victims.