An official report by the Fire Brigade, dated March 5, 2015, had warned the then mayor of Naples, Luigi de Magistris, of the presence of serious structural risks in the balconies of the Vela Celeste of Scampia.
This document, also addressed to the prefecture and the police headquarters, reported the “partial collapse of a walkway providing access to the second floor galleries and the structural deterioration of all the other walkways on the first, second and third floors”.Today, Corriere della Sera reports the news, highlighting that these warnings were transmitted over nine years ago by the provincial command of the Fire Department. On July 22, the collapse of a third-floor landing caused a tragedy: three people were killed and eleven others injured.
This tragic event has brought to light the numerous signs of alarm that had been ignored. In the days following the collapse, a document from 2016 also emerged, linked to the 'Restart Scampia' tender, which highlighted the structural risks of the Vela Celeste. The technicians had highlighted “detachments of walkways, with serious danger for residents”.
The document described in detail the state of degradation of the structures: “The entire pedestrian connection network between the various floors is made up of steel and reinforced concrete walkways positioned in the central part between the two parallel buildings… a structure in a state of decay due to severe corrosion phenomena caused by poor maintenance that has continued over the years”.
The lack of adequate interventions has led to dramatic consequences. The inhabitants of the Celestial Sailing they had repeatedly requested maintenance interventions, without obtaining concrete answers. Now, with public and media attention focused on this case, questions are being asked about responsibilities and how to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Article published on 1 August 2024 - 11:14
