By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 18 January 2014:
Two Italian construction workers, Francesco Scalise and Luciano Gallo have been reported as missing in the . . .[restrict]area of Derna, in eastern Libya.
The two workers were reported as missing on Friday while working.
They had been working in Libya for five months on behalf of a construction company (General Works) on a road project in eastern Libya.
It has been reported to Libya Herald that on Friday Francesco Scalise and Luciano Gallo left with their van to carry out some work, but had failed to return from the job.
The van, with the tools used by the two workers for their job, was later found abandoned by some colleagues in an isolated area.
An official with Derna Local Council who did not wish to be identified told this newspaper that the van was found near the town of Matouba, 25 kilometres from Derna. They added that the local council in Matouba had set up checkpoints around the town, searching vehicles for signs of the missing Italians.
The Italian Embassy and the Italian General Consulate in Benghazi had no further details to give at this stage, saying that they are following up on the matter and that they are in contact with management at the company where the two missing Italians work. [/restrict]