A simple, everyday gesture turned into a nightmare in the Cuma district. Yesterday afternoon, shortly after 15:30 PM, Teresa Tiano, a 65-year-old housewife, was in the kitchen of her house on Via delle Colmate.
She was lighting the gas stove to make coffee when a highly flammable acrylic garment she was wearing suddenly caught fire. The flame engulfed her in moments, attacking her vital areas and leaving her with no escape.
The husband's desperate rescue efforts
The victim's heart-rending screams attracted the attention of her husband, who was outside the house at the time. He was supervising work in the garden, flanked by two workers engaged in a drainage operation. His desperate rush toward the house was immediate, but in vain. When he arrived, the sixty-five-year-old woman was already lying on the ground, lifeless and severely burned.
Shocked by the horrifying scene, the husband alerted the emergency services, supported by the two workers who later confirmed his version. Firefighters and police officers from the Pozzuoli police station, led by Deputy Commissioner Raffaele Esposito, arrived on the scene.
Investigators immediately focused their investigation on a domestic fatality, categorically ruling out femicide or suicide. "She was calm, she had no particular problems, and she would never have taken her own life," her husband said tearfully, while neighbors praying outside the home described the victim as a reserved, polite, and kind woman.
Domestic accident data in Campania
Teresa's death has refocused attention on home safety. While there is no consolidated data on deaths for 2025 alone, the numbers on domestic accidents in Campania reveal a widespread phenomenon.
According to the Regional Prevention Plans, approximately 224.000 people in Campania suffer a home accident each year, recording an incidence of 38,8 cases per 1.000 inhabitants. Eurispes confirms that the region has a lower rate of home accidents (6,2%) than other areas of Italy.
However, the consequences remain dramatic and primarily affect the most vulnerable, such as children, the elderly, and women engaged in domestic work.
I partially agree, but fate can't always be the sole explanation. We need more controls on materials, training for families, and clear rules for home safety. Institutions must make plans and provide ongoing information, without abandoning the most vulnerable.
Very sad news, but it certainly appears to be a domestic accident. More checks are needed on flammable fabrics and gas stoves, especially for the elderly. The statistics are worrying, and information campaigns and concrete prevention measures are needed, based on facts rather than alarmism.