Two people have died and 13 were injured after the partial collapse of a raised passageway on a building in a dilapidated housing estate on the outskirts of Naples, southern Italy.
The incident in Scampia occurred late on Monday night on a third-floor walkway at Vela Celeste, the last and most populous of four sail-shaped blocks due to be demolished as part of a redevelopment scheme in the deprived area.
Witnesses described hearing a “tremendous bang” as part of the structure collapsed on to the floors beneath, according to reports in the Italian press.
The two victims were named as Roberto Abbruzzo, 29, and Margherita della Ragione, 35. The injured, including seven children, were taken to Santobono hospital in Naples, where two were reported to be in a serious condition.
Firefighters worked through the night to evacuate about 800 residents who had been waiting to be rehoused as part of the ReStart Scampia project.
Prosecutors in Naples have opened an investigation into the cause of the collapse.
“We are deeply saddened by last night’s tragedy,” the Naples mayor, Gaetano Manfredi, said. “Our social services are providing assistance to residents and technicians are completing safety checks.
“Now is the time to think about the victims – but I want to reiterate that our redevelopment project will not stop and our commitment to Scampia will be even stronger than before.”
The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, expressed condolences to the victims and their families.
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The housing estate, known as Le Vele di Scampia (Sails of Scampia), was built in the 1960s and 70s to the north of Naples and became known as a neighbourhood with extreme poverty as well as an arena for mafia wars.
The urban regeneration project, worth about €18m, is part of an attempt by authorities to shirk off Scampia’s reputation for crime as well as the stigma that has lingered since it was the fictional setting for the 2008 hit TV series Gomorrah, based on the bestselling book about the Camorra mafia by Roberto Saviano.
Demolition of the blocks began in 2020.