"Guys, we're all fine, terrified but we're fine": among the Italians stranded in Dubai is Danilo D'Ambrosio, former defender for the national team (6 caps) and a key figure for ten seasons with Inter, before ending his career at Monza last year.
The 37-year-old former soccer player, born in Naples and living in Lombardy, is in the Emirates with his wife and two young children. In an Instagram post, he recounts the tense moments he experienced yesterday: "Unfortunately, they shot down three missiles over our heads while we were on the beach. Debris was falling, and people were panicking, crying and screaming. Our children were, too."
The night under the stairs between alarms and booms
D'Ambrosio reports that he and his family took refuge at a friend's house: "We spent the night in a basement with constant alarms and explosions. We're just waiting for them to take us home!!!" Today, the former player is commentating on the championship on Radiotv Serie A and has also played for Salernitana, Fiorentina, and Torino.
His wife, Enza De Cristofaro, also described the same night, reposting a message from a friend who hosted them: "It was a nightmare. Of alarms. Of noises and bangs. Of terror in our eyes. The children were asleep, but we weren't because we didn't know what could happen."
“When the alarm went off on our cell phones, we ran to get them and went down to the cellar. We stayed under cover for hours, and every sound was a look of fear between us. This morning we woke up to more roars. We just want to go home.”
Flights grounded due to airspace closures
The D'Ambrosio family was supposed to return to Italy today, but the closure of the airspace in the area prevented their departure. "There are hundreds of you, we hear you all, continue to pray for us," was the last message shared by the former footballer's wife.
"Mice in a Trap": A Testimony from Millennium Place
Among the stranded Italians are also Neapolitans staying at the hotel, who have sent videos and messages to MP Francesco Emilio Borrelli. "We heard loud bangs and then clouds of thick smoke. We're scared, we feel like trapped rats," says Gennaro Sarnataro, who arrived just yesterday at Dubai Marina, at Millennium Place, with his partner and son.
"Just a few minutes ago, we were able to speak to the Italian embassy, who advised us to stay inside the hotel; they told us the entire country is under attack and there's nowhere safe to go," he added. "In the last few hours, we've heard new explosions, and three missiles were intercepted a short distance away."
Borrelli's appeal: "Assistance and organized returns"
Borrelli called for immediate intervention from the Foreign Ministry: "I have asked them to take every action to provide all the necessary assistance to our fellow citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates in conditions of enormous danger."
The MP also emphasized the need for constant updates and planning for repatriations "starting now" to "avoid chaos as soon as the airspace reopens." He explained that he is following the situation in contact with Italians in Dubai and with some businessmen present for work.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
I read the article and it seems to me to be a very tense situation, without exaggerating, the details on the missiles and the night in the basement are too dramatic, but it seems that precise information on how to organize the returns and the support is missing. The embassy is trying but the plan and the timing are not clear.