Napoli– The restaurant 'A Figlia d' 'o Marenaro, a historic point of reference for Neapolitan catering, today, Thursday 26 June announced its closure as a sign of mourning and solidarity for the tragedy that occurred yesterday evening in via Foria, where a violent explosion in an adjacent warehouse caused the death of Giovanni Scala, 57, and caused four injuries, one of whom is in serious condition.
The owner of the restaurant, Assunta Pacifico, wanted to publicly express her condolences and provide clarifications regarding inaccurate news circulating in the last few hours, which have mistakenly associated the restaurant with the origin of the explosion.
“The seriousness of the tragedy was not yet known”
Pacifico he stressed that at the time of the first press release, issued shortly before the event, neither the deaths nor the exact number of injured were known. Information about Giovanni Scala emerged only later, further aggravating the sense of pain and dismay.
“Hot statements, dictated by fear”
In the media spotlight since the first minutes after the explosion, the restaurateur explains that her initial statements – also on social media – were the result of an instinctive and human reaction, marked by panic and anger: "It was a devastating event. I spoke from the heart, overwhelmed by fear of what could have happened".
“A massacre narrowly avoided”
The restaurant was regularly open for evening service and was already filled with customers sitting in the outdoor area on Via Foria. Among those present were also relatives and collaborators of Pacifico. “If the internal room had been full,” he says, “today we would be talking about a massacre. It was fortunate that there were no more injuries or victims.”
“No new admissions, only emergency management”
In clarifying the dynamics of the event, the owner specifies that after the explosion the place did not welcome new customers, but simply managed those present, trying to maintain control and guarantee safety in a situation of absolute emergency.
The explosion also caused serious structural damage inside the restaurant, in particular to the rooms recently dedicated to the restaurateur's daughters. A very hard blow that adds to the pain for what happened.
“We are close to the affected families”
Assunta Pacifico concluded her message with a thought for the victims and the injured: “In such a difficult moment, we gather around the families involved. We thank all those who have shown understanding and respect”.
Il restaurant will reopen in the next few days, after completing the safety checks and addressing the damage suffered. In the meantime, the pain remains deep, as does the request for respect and truth.
It is a very sad and worrying situation that happened in Naples. The closure of the restaurant is an important gesture, but we hope that the truth will be clarified as soon as possible to avoid confusion among people. It is all devastating.