A collapse of the first floor attic of the former convent of Giaccherino, in Pontelungo, on the first hilly outskirts of Pistoia, last evening injured 35 people, 6 of whom were in red code. The accident occurred during a wedding party, when the guests were dancing. 64 of them fell into the refectory below, which was empty at the time.
The injured people were transported to various hospitals in Tuscany, including San Jacopo in Pistoia, Santa Maria Nuova in Florence, Versilia in Lido di Camaiore and Santa Maria Annunziata in Prato.
The six injured in red code were hospitalized at San Jacopo in Pistoia. One of them, a 35-year-old man, suffered a perforated lung and underwent surgery. The other five suffered multiple fractures but their lives are not in danger.
The groom and bride, who were present at the party, suffered minor injuries and have been released from the hospital.
The Pistoia Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into negligent injuries and failure to carry out necessary work to remove the dangers.
The testimonials
Dario, 20, is one of the waiters at the catering company that was in charge of taking care of the wedding food.
“Already in the afternoon, while we were preparing the room for the party, we could feel the floor shaking. When we walked on it, the glasses would vibrate. Some floors, in several rooms, were clearly in very bad condition.”
Dario was a few meters from that collapse that caused about sixty injuries. He saw the dust rising and the people fleeing. He heard the screams.
“We were already starting to tidy up everything, the party was supposed to end at 21 pm. We were at the time of the dance, so towards the end. For what happened it went well, many were lucky. The dance hall at the beginning was supposed to be another one, still on the first floor but bigger.
More guests would have fit in there. But the floor there was even worse and was in danger of becoming even worse. We had seen the ceiling that was all sagging. At the last minute they decided to change rooms and move to the smaller one next door because it was nicer.”
In the afternoon, during the preparations, it seems that more than one employee had noticed worrying conditions of the attics. Some had even become worried, a couple of questions among themselves hearing suspicious noises and glasses shaking. "But in the end we thought it was quite normal considering it is an ancient structure".
The causes of the collapse
The causes of the collapse are still to be ascertained. Investigators are investigating to understand if there is responsibility on the part of anyone.
The former convent of Giaccherino is owned by a private company, Rinascimento srl, which hosts weddings and other events, in one of the most suggestive locations in the province of Pistoia.
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