Materdei, car swallowed by a sinkhole: the driver was saved by a human chain of neighbors.

Naples – A car collapsed into a sinkhole in the courtyard of a building on Vico della Neve, in the Materdei neighborhood, following heavy rains in the city. A man was inside, rescued by residents of the building and brought to safety. A scooter also fell into the sinkhole. The shocked driver was able to recount the incident.

The incident has reignited the debate over the condition of the historic center's streets and the maintenance of the paving. According to Pino De Stasio, councilor of the Second Municipality, only a "miraculous event" prevented a tragedy.

The maintenance complaint

"This paving requires constant maintenance," says De Stasio, criticizing the extraordinary interventions and repairs with bitumen, which he believes are unsuitable for ancient roads. The cause of the sinkhole will need to be determined, but the councilor maintains that the problem is broader and concerns the overall management of the road network.

«We need an ordinary plan»

According to De Stasio, the Municipality's interventions are often emergency-based and lack a coherent vision to ensure the safety and preservation of historic streets. "We're talking about the ancient heart of Naples, streets that are a heritage site and can't be patched up like any other modern road," he observes.

The councilor says he has already highlighted the need for a serious plan for routine maintenance of the Vesuvian paving: "Before a tragedy occurs."

Editor's note: I have retained the details and statements in the provided text, distinguishing the councilor's complaint from the causes of the collapse, which are still under investigation. News reports of the day report that the sinkhole opened in Vico della Neve and that the driver was rescued; the reconstructions of the causes are conflicting.