Two people have died and 13 others were injured after a third-floor balcony collapsed at a residential complex in Naples, Italy, on Monday night. The incident occurred at the Vela Celeste building in the Scampia suburb shortly after 11pm local time.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and had to dig through rubble to rescue victims. A 29-year-old man died instantly, while a 35-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries in hospital. Among the injured are seven children, with one in critical condition.
The balcony, built into a metal structure, reportedly became detached from the building before crashing down. Terrified neighbours described the sound as resembling an earthquake accompanied by a loud noise, according to local media outlet Pamfleti.
Naples Mayor Gaetano Manfredi expressed sorrow on social media, stating: 'What happened tonight in Scampia saddens me. We are closely following the rescue operations and our social services are on site to provide assistance.'
The collapse follows a similar tragedy in May, when a building collapsed at a beach bar in Majorca's Playa de Palma, killing four people and injuring dozens. Investigations into the Naples incident are ongoing.
