Vela Rossa collapse in Scampia: no victims, families evacuated

There were no injuries in the partial collapse of the Vela Rossa which occurred last night in the Neapolitan district of Scampia. There was a collapse of the elevator shaft in the building which has been demolished since last December. The Fire Brigade have started preparatory operations for the excavation and search for possible people under the rubble

Collapse in a building in Scampia, on the outskirts of Naples. It happened around 11pm last night. As soon as he heard the news of the collapse which affected the lift shaft inside the Vela rossa building in Viale della Resistenza, where demolition work is underway, the Prefect of Naples, Michele di Bari, immediately called together the Rescue Coordination Centre. There are no injuries.

The debris caused some families to leave

The building has been demolished since last December and last night, for reasons still under investigation, the elevator shaft collapsed. However, the falling debris had consequences: some families living in an adjacent building were removed as a precaution. Three hundred displaced people could return to their homes in the next few hours. The Police Forces cordoned off the area invaded by debris and precautionary evacuation operations began for a 6-storey building in which 47 families live.

Reception area set up

The regional Civil Protection is sending the material to set up a temporary reception area for families, two light towers and other basic necessities. E-Distribuzione is sending in a generator to provide electricity to the entire area which has none, as the collapse destroyed a secondary substation. Firefighters have started preparatory operations for the excavation and search for possible people under the rubble with two USAR teams, specialized in this activity.

The red sail was being demolished

Of the seven Vele di Scampia - buildings built between the 1960s and 1970s in the new neighborhood that arose in the western outskirts of Naples - five have already been demolished. The Rossa, the one affected by the collapse that occurred last night, had been in the process of demolition for a few months while only the Celeste, which in the future will house public offices, will be spared from the bulldozers. Just in Vela Celeste in the month of July two years ago there was the collapse of a balcony. Due to that serious accident, three people lost their lives while 11 others were injured.

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The redevelopment plan in Scampia

The neighborhood is affected by an important urban redevelopment plan - the ReStart Scampia Project - which involves the demolition of the Vela Rossa, the redevelopment of the Celeste one and the construction of 433 new self-sufficient homes from an energy point of view. Not only houses but also spaces intended for urban agriculture (social vegetable gardens and orchards), a public neighborhood park, a farm with recreational and educational purposes, a local market, a school complex.

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