Naples, six people investigated for the explosion in via Peppino De Filippo

Napoli – Six people, including owners and managers of the restaurant “Da Corrado”, have been entered in the register of suspects for the tragic explosion that occurred last June 25 in via Peppino De Filippo, near via Foria.

The explosion, probably caused by a gas leak, caused the partial collapse of a building, the death of an employee and the injury of two other people.

The victim, Giovanni Scala, 57 years old, was inside the warehouse of the commercial activity, which according to the investigations conducted by the Prosecutor's Office was also used as a kitchen laboratory.

Scala was not supposed to work that day, but he had agreed to cover the shift of some colleagues: a gesture of availability that cost him his life. His body remained under the rubble for over three hours, until the arrival of the rescuers who, however, could do nothing but confirm his death.

An autopsy on the body is expected in the next few hours, after which permission for the funeral may be issued. The autopsy may also be attended by the consultants of the suspects.

The investigation is coordinated by prosecutor Federica D'Amodio, part of the Naples prosecutor's office team led by deputy Antonio Ricci. The charges currently being considered include violations of workplace safety regulations, improper use of the premises, and responsibility for the structural collapse.

In particular, an investigation is underway into why there was an active gas pipeline in a building registered only as a warehouse, as already underlined by Mayor Gaetano Manfredi, who asked for “urgent clarifications” on the intended use and the authorizations issued.

The disaster and its consequences

THEesplosione has also had a devastating impact on the surrounding buildings. Twenty-two families were evacuated as a precaution from the buildings between Via Foria and Via De Filippo, which were declared temporarily uninhabitable. The Municipality has already notified 14 warnings not to enter the buildings involved and has issued urgent orders to secure the damaged structures.

A tragedy that rekindles the issue of workplace safety

The tragedy of via Peppino De Filippo has forcefully brought safety conditions in the workplace and the improper use of commercial premises back to the centre of public debate. The death of Giovanni Scala — a respected worker described by friends and colleagues as a “decent and tireless person” — represents yet another wound for a city that continues to deal with fragile construction and too many gaps in controls.

The investigation by the judiciary has just begun, but it promises to be complex: the licenses, rental contracts and the intended use of the premises involved are also being examined, with the risk that other irregularities may emerge in addition to those already ascertained. In the meantime, a family mourns a victim who had gone to work that day just to lend a hand.