Two people were killed and 13 injured when an elevated walkway of a building in a dilapidated residential area on the outskirts of Naples in southern Italy partially collapsed.
The incident in Scampia happened late on Monday night on the third-floor sidewalk of Vela Celeste, the last and most populous of the four sail-shaped blocks that will be demolished as part of a redevelopment plan for the impoverished area.
Witnesses said they heard a “huge explosion” as part of the building collapsed to the floor below, Italian media reported.
The two victims were 29-year-old Roberto Abbruzzo and 35-year-old Margherita della Ragione. They were taken to Naples’ Santobono hospital, where two of them were reported to be in serious condition.
Firefighters worked through the night to evacuate about 800 residents awaiting relocation as part of the ReStart Scampia program.
Naples prosecutors have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse.
“We are deeply saddened by last night’s tragedy,” Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi said. “Our social services department is assisting residents and technicians are completing safety checks.
“Now is the time to think about the victims, but I want to reiterate that our rebuilding plans will not stop and our commitment to Scampia will be stronger than ever.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
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The residential area is called Scampia’s sails The Sails of Scampia were built in the 1960s and 1970s in northern Naples, a neighborhood known for its extreme poverty and as an arena for mafia wars.
The urban regeneration project, worth some 18 million euros, is part of the authorities’ attempt to shake off Scampia’s criminal reputation and the stigma that has lingered since it was the fictional setting of the hit TV series Gomorrah in 2008. Roberto Saviano’s book about the Camorra Mafia.
Demolition of these blocks began in 2020.
