Two dead due to balcony collapse in Naples
At the collapse of a balcony in a suburb of the Italian city Naples, two people have died and over a dozen have been injured. A 29-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were killed, according to the fire department, who were at home in the social housing complex.
Among the at least 13 injured are also several children. In the suburb of Scampia, several scenes of the Mafia TV series "Gomorrha" were filmed a few years ago.
The accident occurred in the late Monday evening, around 11:00 PM. According to rescue services, a balcony from the fourth floor of the building collapsed into the depths and dragged two other balconies with it. Due to the still high temperatures in the evening, many residents were outside. The building saw chaotic scenes.
According to rescue services, several injured are in critical condition. Among the injured are at least seven children between the ages of two and eight.
It is still unclear why the balcony could no longer withstand the load. Several hundred residents had to evacuate their apartments for safety reasons and spend the next hours outside. The suburb of Scampia is known as a stronghold of Mafia families. Criminality and drug dealing are rampant. Many buildings there were built in the 1960s and 1970s.
Two additional balconies also collapsed due to the initial incident, causing further injuries. The rescue services transported two baskets filled with medical supplies to the scene to assist the injured. Despite the efforts of the medical personnel, two of the injured individuals, a man and a woman, succumbed to their injuries, adding to the two fatalities.
