An investigation has been opened into the death of a 12-year-old girl following the collapse of a swing beam in the oratory of San Pelino, a hamlet of Avezzano, in the Marsican province of L'Aquila.
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Uprooted from the ground and lying on the lawn, two logs of wood. Their base is evidently damaged, but an in-depth investigation will be needed to understand if this is the cause of the accident that yesterday shocked the small community of San Pelino, a hamlet of about two thousand inhabitants a few kilometers from Avezzano, in the Marsica.
The country mourns a 12-year-old girl, Alessia Prender, of Albanian origins, who was playing on a swing in the internal courtyard of the parish oratory, a meeting place for many children. Suddenly the wooden structure, two vertical poles and a horizontal beam, to which the chair was tied, came down, overwhelming her.
The impact was tremendous. Alessia remained on the ground, panting, but unconscious. The only ones who noticed what was happening were the other children, who at that moment were playing like her on the lawn and the soccer fields. “Alessia wake up” they said several times.
A few moments later, a man arrived from a nearby wall where he was sitting, realizing the gravity of the situation and immediately intervened, taking the little girl in his arms and attempting first aid.
The 12-year-old was stabilized, given resuscitation, and then transported to the hospital in Avezzano, where she died shortly afterward due to the serious internal trauma she suffered. The grief of her parents, Petrit and Eda, who have long been very well integrated into the community of San Pierino, is heartbreaking. Several administrators also arrived on site, including the acting mayor of Avezzano, Domenico Di Berardino.
Swing collapse, investigation into little Alessia's death
Even the bishop, John Massaro, wanted to see for themselves what was happening. The area was seized and will be scanned in the next few days for all the necessary checks. Some citizens have made it known that they had already reported the critical issues of the structure in the past. This morning summit at the Avezzano Prosecutor's Office to take stock of the investigations.
"I have just learned of the tragic news that has struck the community of San Pelino. Dying tragically at twelve years old is difficult to explain and to accept. On behalf of myself and the entire regional council, I am close to the family of the little girl in this tragic moment." The President of the Abruzzo Region declared this, Marcus Marsilio.
Article published on 1 September 2022 - 10:35
