A 55-year-old security guard has died during an overnight shift in freezing temperatures at a construction site near the 2026 Winter Olympics venue in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The incident occurred on Thursday night as temperatures fell to minus 12 degrees Celsius.
Italy’s Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini has demanded a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. Organisers of the Milan Cortina 2026 Games stated that the worker suffered a heart attack, which they described as a death from natural causes.
“All the documentation that we have was in order,” said Andrea Varnier, chief executive of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, adding that they were awaiting the investigation to determine the specific cause. The construction site is not overseen by Simico, the government company responsible for Olympic infrastructure.
The death comes amid a spell of extreme winter weather across Europe, with heavy snowfall, high winds and icy roads causing travel disruption. In Germany, train services were cancelled in the north, while Baltic countries advised against non-essential travel due to blizzards.
Cortina city officials expressed deep sadness over the death. The town is set to host curling, sliding and women’s Alpine skiing during the Games, scheduled for 6–22 February 2026.
