Tragedy at work at the Colosseum: 22-year-old rock climber dies

Tragedy at work at night at the Colosseum. Around midnight, a 22-year-old rock climbing worker, involved in the high-altitude installation of a new lighting system for the monument, fell from a height of approximately 10 metres. Despite resuscitation attempts by Ares 118 personnel, he died. The Carabinieri of the Central Rome Company and the investigative unit, the coroner, the prosecutor on duty and the staff of the labor inspectorate and the ASL Spresal intervened on site.

The Rome Prosecutor's Office is proceeding for manslaughter in relation to the death of Andrea Moretti. The proceeding, linked to workplace safety regulations, is coordinated by the deputy prosecutor Antonino Di Maio and is currently against unknown persons. The investigations are entrusted to the Carabinieri who are acquiring a series of documents to ascertain any responsibilities. An autopsy has been arranged. The body was taken to the Sapienza forensic medicine institute.

His name was Andrea Moretti and he specialized in rope work at high altitude, the worker who died this night inside the Flavian Amphitheatre. The Colosseum Archaeological Park made it known with the Mic, giving the news of the accident. As a sign of mourning, the Park has decided to close to the public today the sector of the second tier where the accident occurred, an area however not subject to seizure by the judiciary, which is currently busy determining the dynamics of the incident.

Andrea Moretti was originally from the Tottea hamlet of the municipality of Crognaleto, in the province of Teramo. A rock climbing worker, he was specialized and very expert despite his 22 years of age. A highly sought after and difficult qualification to find for construction sites, in which many young and not so young people from the Teramo mountains have tried their hand at over the years. Andrea had followed in his father's footsteps, who had also been a worker for many years and was forced to leave his job about thirty years ago due to an injury that left him disabled. The mayor of Crognaleto, Orlando Persia, a personal friend of Andrea, was very shaken by the tragedy, describing him as a "sunny boy, a lover of life, of his land, tied to friendships and horses, his passion". The mayor of the Abruzzo municipality has announced that he will proclaim citizen mourning on the day of the funeral.

"As per indications received from the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, who was on site overnight, the Colosseum Archaeological Park has ordered the closure of the Flavian Amphitheater as a sign of mourning for the tragic death of the worker Andrea Moretti" we read in a note. "The decision, taken already during the night, was implemented after managing the first round of visits, made up of thousands of people unaware of what had happened". "An immediate closure of access would in fact have resulted in a strong concentration of visitors outside the monument, with possible repercussions on security and public order. Once the regular outflow of people present has ended, the Colosseum will be closed to the public" it adds.

The Minister of Culture, as far as we know, has ordered, as of this night, the interruption of all work at the Colosseum until further notice.

Meloni: 'Unacceptable death of worker at the Colosseum, make full light'

"The news of the tragic death of Andrea Moretti, a worker who died following an accident at the Colosseum, strikes us and saddens us deeply. I want to express my condolences and my closeness to his family, his loved ones and his colleagues in this very difficult moment. And express the hope that full light will be shed, in the shortest possible time, on what happened. Dying at 22 is unacceptable, it is even more so if this happens in the workplace. Even in the name of Andrea we will continue to do our part, to commit ourselves and to make every effort to ensure that similar tragedies never happen again." So Giorgia Meloni.

Giuli: 'A tragic event that leaves us dismayed'

"A tragic event that leaves us dismayed and stunned. The few words we manage to express are dedicated to Andrea, his family, his loved ones: we extend our deep, painful condolences to everyone in the face of the absurd death of a young man engaged in his work". This was stated by the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, commenting on the death of the worker.

Gualtieri: 'The death of the worker at the Colosseum is a pain for all of Rome. We cannot accept that people continue to die while working'

"The death of Andrea Moretti, who lost his life tonight at just 22 years old while working inside the Colosseum, leaves us dismayed and saddened. It is a pain that affects all of Rome. I extend my embrace and that of the entire Capitoline administration to his family, his loved ones and his colleagues, in the awareness that no words can make up for such a heartbreaking loss. We cannot accept that people continue to die while working. Safety must be an absolute priority, a concrete and daily commitment, because tragedies like this they must never happen again." Thus the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri.