A 15-year-old boy has died after being electrocuted while using a football-kicking machine at a fairground in northern Italy. Alessio Colletti, from Saronno near Milan, was on holiday with a friend and the friend's parents at Luna Park in the seaside town of Spotorno when the incident occurred on July 16.
Incident Details
Alessio, a promising young footballer, approached the "calciometro" machine, which measures kick power. He reportedly removed one shoe to play barefoot and suffered a massive electric shock the moment he touched the machine. The attraction's safety switch is said to have failed to trip.
Despite resuscitation efforts lasting more than two hours, Alessio died at St Paul's Hospital in Savona. A post-mortem examination is scheduled for Friday.
Investigation Launched
A manslaughter investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the death. The fairground ride owner, the technician who tested the attraction, and the engineer responsible for its annual safety checks are all under investigation. Authorities are examining why the differential switch, designed to cut power at the first sign of a leak, failed to activate.
A seized cable and connectors are being tested for possible rain damage after a downpour shortly before the incident. An electrical engineering expert from Turin University will carry out forensic tests.
Tributes and Aftermath
Alessio's football club, Amor Sportiva Saronno, paid tribute with a black-ribbon post, writing: "Ciao Colle, you will always be with all of us." Local rivals Virtus Cantalupo added: "There is pain that the heart cannot accept... the football stops, rivalries stop. Only the pain remains." Friends described Alessio as a talented midfielder with a bright future.
Luna Park remains closed while checks continue on permits and safety compliance. The family is awaiting the release of the body to arrange a funeral in Saronno. The case has raised questions about electrical inspections and emergency cut-outs on ageing attractions at travelling fairgrounds.
