Collapse at a construction site in Florence: four dead and one missing

Two workers were rescued from the rubble alive and are in critical condition in hospital, but their lives were not in danger. Another man was still missing. He could be under one of the fallen pillars, as rescue teams reported.

The fourth body was recovered on Saturday night. The dead are a 60-year-old Italian and three workers of North African origin. The three injured people come from Romania, as the rescue units reported.

Dog teams are being used to search for the missing person. Several fire brigade teams were on the scene. According to the rescue units, one of the large load-bearing beams of the roof and the attic floor on top of it collapsed.

“Heard the screams of the workers”

“I was at home taking a shower. I heard a bang and ran outside to investigate. I could hear the screams of the workers calling for help,” said a witness.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condoled with the families of the victims. “On my behalf and that of the Government, I express my condolences to the victims of the collapse in Florence. I am following the development of the situation with concern and thank everyone who is taking part in the search for the missing and in the rescue operations for the injured. Our “deep condolences go out to the families affected by this terrible tragedy,” Meloni wrote on X. The government promised more controls on the safety of construction sites.

The mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, who is currently in Israel and Palestine, said he was shocked. “We are constantly monitoring the situation. On my own behalf and on behalf of the city of Florence, I express my condolences to the victims and thank all the rescue workers who were deployed,” the mayor wrote. A day of mourning was declared in Florence on Saturday, with a minute’s silence planned at 3 p.m.

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