Worker dies at Bergé Marítima after tire explosion in Bilbao
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A 45-year-old worker lost his life this Tuesday, October 20, in a workplace accident that occurred at the Bergé Marítima facilities in the Port of Bilbao. The man died when the tire of a machine he was performing maintenance work on exploded.
The incident took place in Santurtzi, within the Bergé Marítima premises. According to information released by Basque media and the Basque Government's Security Department, the alert was received at around 3:10 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. Medical and emergency crews were dispatched to the scene, but were unable to save the worker's life. Authorities opened the corresponding proceedings to establish the sequence of events and determine the technical and occupational causes of the accident.
An ongoing investigation
Bergé carries out cargo handling, storage and transport operations at the port that rely on mobile machinery and equipment subject to intensive loads. The investigation will need to clarify which machine was being repaired, what the work exactly involved, what lockout/isolation measures had been applied, and whether other factors were involved, since until the competent authority confirms these details it is not possible to assign responsibility or establish a definitive cause beyond the reported explosion.
Prior incidents at the port
The death caused dismay within the Bilbao port community. The case takes on a sensitive dimension because the Port of Bilbao had already recorded other workplace accidents linked to Bergé: in November 2025 a female worker was run over by a lift truck and another worker was injured while handling steel bars, incidents that prompted union demands to strengthen training, coordination and occupational safety.
