The tragic death of a technician in the Roman Colosseum

Andrea Moretti, a 22-year-old technician, died after falling several meters while installing a new lighting system inside an ancient Roman arena, Reuters reports.

Giorgia Meloni reacts to the death of an employee

Built 2,000 years ago, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire, used for gladiator fights, executions and animal fights. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Italy.

The news of the tragic death of Andrea Moretti, a skilled worker who died overnight, deeply shocked and saddened us, said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

"Humanity is more important than tourists"

Minister Giuli ordered the suspension of all construction and maintenance works at the Colosseum until further notice. Initially, only a partial closure of the monument was announced, but this sparked a protest from Italy's largest trade union, CGIL.

Humanity is more important than tourists, said Natale di Cola, president of CGIL in Rome, adding that the union is appealing to Giuli to explain all the circumstances of Moretti's accident.

The incident comes less than a year after the death of a Romanian worker who was trapped for several hours under the rubble of a partially collapsed medieval tower near the Colosseum last November.