Naples: Fire destroys the former Bar Vittoria, which had been closed for years.

Naples – Thick black smoke has once again enveloped Via delle Repubbliche Marinare, in the heart of Naples' eastern suburbs. Last night, a raging fire completely destroyed the former Bar Vittoria, a historic neighborhood meeting place that had been closed to the public for some time.

The alarm was raised around the early hours of the morning, when some local residents noticed flames rising from the shutters of the shop and alerted emergency services. Several firefighting teams quickly responded to the scene, spending several hours dousing the blaze and securing the entire area, preventing the fire from spreading to adjacent buildings.

The turbulent past of the business

The incident rekindles the spotlight on a business with a troubled past. Bar Vittoria had ceased operations several years earlier, following a dramatic robbery against its owners and subsequent police searches that led to the discovery of narcotics inside the premises, leading to its permanent closure. Since then, the building had been abandoned.

Full-scale investigations

The Carabinieri of the local police force have launched an investigation into the fire. After completing initial technical assessments with the Fire Department's technicians, investigators have not ruled out any possibility, ranging from vandalism to malicious intimidation.

Law enforcement is currently examining footage from public and private video surveillance systems along Via delle Repubbliche Marinare, which may have captured suspicious activity in the moments immediately preceding the outbreak of the flames.