A balcony collapses in a building in Naples: two dead

The balcony, a reinforced concrete structure serving as a circulation gallery on the third floor of the building, collapsed around 22:30 p.m. onto those on the lower floors, where several people were present.

A 29-year-old man, married and father of a two-year-old girl, and a 35-year-old woman died from their injuries, while the injured were distributed to several hospitals in the southern metropolis.

The seven injured children, aged between two and seven, are being treated at Santobono Pediatric Hospital. Two of them, suffering in particular from fractures, are in serious condition.

The building where the tragedy occurred is part of a seriously degraded group of imposing constructions called "the sails" because of their characteristic shape. This complex, located in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Naples, is currently the subject of an urban renewal plan launched in April by the Municipality of Naples. Several of the other "sails" have already been destroyed.

Some 500 families had to be evacuated, particularly those stuck on the upper floors using the firefighters' mobile ladder, according to the Italian agency AGI.

The mayor of the city Gaetano Manfredi, who went there during the night to participate in the coordination of relief with the prefect and "to show his solidarity with the residents", said he was "deeply saddened by the tragedy" that occurred in this district of northern Naples.

He also wanted to "reaffirm that the 'sails' renovation project is not stopping" and that "the commitment to Scampia will be even stronger than before".

The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola expressed in a message on

Italy has been the scene of tragedies of this type several times, linked to the poor quality of construction and their lack of maintenance. In 2018, the collapse of a bridge in Genoa caused 43 deaths.