The collapse of a connecting balcony in the Vela Celeste, a popular settlement in the neighborhood of Naples, has resulted in three deaths and 12 injuries. The collapse that occurred on the third floor also involved the balconies of the second and first floors. Firefighters, after digging through the rubble, have completed the evacuation of the upper floors while stability checks are underway in the affected part of the building.
The third victim
Patrizia Della Ragione, 53, died this morning at the Cardarelli Hospital in Naples. She had been hospitalized for polytrauma and suffered a ruptured spleen and pelvis. Patrizia Della Ragione was the mother of Roberto Abbruzzo, the first victim of the collapse, aged 29. The other victim, Margherita Della Ragione, 35, was the niece of the woman who died today.
The injured, three in serious condition
Of the 12 injured, 3 are in serious but stable condition: a woman in intensive care at Cardarelli and two girls aged four and seven hospitalized at Santobono along with five other minors. The two young patients, who presented as the most complicated cases from the very beginning, are in intensive care with reserved prognosis and are in stable condition despite the extreme severity. Three other small patients, aged 10, 2, and 9, hospitalized in orthopedics, have undergone surgery for fractures according to the bulletin from Santobono.
The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, called the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, to express solidarity with the city, the families of the victims, the injured, and those who had to leave their homes following the collapse. The mayor has already declared a day of mourning on the day the funerals will take place. Flags at half-mast are displayed on the balconies of Palazzo San Giacomo and the Palazzo di Via Verdi, the seats of the City Council of Naples.
According to some witnesses, the collapse occurred while a petty argument between two families was ongoing. It is not excluded, but at the moment it is just a hypothesis, that the weight concentrated on the balcony may have contributed to the collapse of the already dilapidated structure. At this time, the Prosecutor’s Office has not commented on this circumstance.
66 apartments in the Vela Celeste for about 300 people were declared habitable yesterday while different accommodation facilities have been identified for the other 500 citizens currently homeless. However, about 150 displaced persons chose to remain in the nearby building that houses a branch of Federico II: they slept on the floor yesterday, refusing schools and the
other association venues where gyms had been equipped with cots and bathrooms. Today the Municipality of Naples decided to send 150 cots to deal with the nights at the University premises.
The fear of residents, a witness: “A tremendous roar, it was terrible”
Collapse of a balcony at the Vele of Scampia: checks by firefighters – July 23, 2024
Gennaro Scala: “Other similar structures have been demolished”
The Police have opened an investigation into the collapse. No hypothesis is excluded, the most credible being that of a structural failure, but to be certain, it will be necessary to complete checks by the firefighters. Immediately after the collapse, which occurred around 11 PM on Monday, many people flooded the streets out of fear of further collapses and concern for those trapped. Numerous rescue vehicles were deployed to the scene, with several ambulances transferring the injured to the hospital.
Today, a new inspection by the Prosecutor’s Office of Naples at the Vela Celeste. Deputy Prosecutor Manuela Persico from the “Labor and Professional Crimes” section is handling the investigations along with her colleague Mario Canale. The area of the collapse is under seizure, and consultants who will be appointed in the coming hours to analyze the documentation so far acquired by the judicial police have already been identified.
The images of the tragedy
AnsaCollapse of a balcony at the Vele of Scampia: evacuation of residents – July 23, 2024
Prefect: “Monitoring of Vele apartments within 15 days”
The approximately 100 apartments of the Vela Celeste in Scampia which have undergone checks after last night’s collapse “are not uninhabitable, but are habitable to the extent that monitoring will be carried out which will conclude within 15 days.” This was explained by the Prefect of Naples Michele di Bari at the end of a meeting of the rescue coordination center at the Prefecture which was also attended by the Mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi.
“In these 15 days, wherever possible, residents can return as soon as possible,” emphasized the prefect. “We are still in a transitional phase, a few pieces are still missing for this return procedure to be finalized.” In Scampia, some activists from the Vele Committee have symbolically occupied the building housing the Faculty of Medicine of the University Federico II protesting against the solution of the gyms: “Now I am going with the mayor to meet them, but in emergencies there are no other structures. We want to explain to these people that this is a temporary and provisional solution and all services will be ensured.”
The Prime Minister Meloni: “Heartbroken, condolences to families and thanks to firefighters”
“Heartbroken by what happened last night with the collapse of the balcony in the Vela Celeste in the Scampia neighborhood of Naples where 2 people died and another 13 were injured, including several children. At this painful moment, my condolences go to the families of the victims along with a thought of closeness to the injured and their loved ones. Thanks to the firefighters who promptly intervened and to all those who are collaborating in the rescue operations,” said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on social media.
The President of the European Parliament Metsola: “My thoughts are with the victims of the Scampia collapse”
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the injured – many of whom are children – from the tragic incident in Scampia. I am grateful to the Firefighters and everyone who intervened to help. Be strong. We are with you,” wrote European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on social media.
The Mayor of Naples: “Deep sorrow for the tragedy. The commitment to the neighborhood will be stronger than before”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy this night in the Vela Celeste of Scampia. I personally followed the rescue operations and, together with the Prefect, I went to the scene of the collapse to verify the situation and show support to the population,” said the Mayor of Naples Gaetano Manfredi. “Now is the time for sorrow for those who lost their lives and hope for those who were injured, starting with the children, but precisely for them I want to reiterate that our project for the regeneration of the Vele will not stop and our commitment to Scampia will be even stronger than before,” added the mayor, who then announced that a day of mourning will be proclaimed for the day of the funerals.
De Luca: “All necessary measures will be taken”
“Deep condolences to the families who lost their loved ones and there is great anxiety for the injured from the tragedy in Scampia. Our healthcare facilities have been working since the moment of the collapse to do everything possible for the injured, for the children who arrived at Santobono, and for the displaced. We continue to be constantly informed and take all necessary actions. With pain, anguish, and hope in these moments we are close to the affected families, especially the seven injured children, some seriously,” wrote the President of the Campania Region Vincenzo De Luca on social media.
The Archbishop of Naples: “No one can say they are exempt from the need for solidarity”
“I write this brief message while the fearful and lost faces of the displaced are still imprinted in my eyes, the desperate looks of those who have lost a loved one, the suffering bodies of the children hospitalized at Santobono. Another tragedy and a new pain invade Scampia, casting many families and the entire population of the neighborhood into mourning and despair.” Thus spoke the Archbishop of Naples, Mimmo Battaglia, who asks the Neapolitan Church “to be even closer to the pain of these people, remembering them in prayer and showing concrete solidarity to the parishes of Scampia, which at this moment more than ever need the support and comfort of the entire diocesan community.”
The Vela Celeste
It is one of the last remaining structures in Scampia after the previous demolitions of the other Vele decided to provide a more dignified accommodation for residents and to erase the label of ‘Gomorra’ from the neighborhood.
Just last April, the urban regeneration plan of the Manfredi administration concerning the Vele of Scampia was announced, with renovation works on Vela B (the so-called ‘Vela Celeste’) financed by the Peripheral Plan (with funding of about 18 million euros). The project involves the rehabilitation of common areas, the garage floor and porticos, vertical connections, and the resurfacing of horizontal roofing. An intervention that represents another piece in the complex mosaic of regeneration of the Vele di Scampia, starting the recovery of the only Vela that will remain standing as a symbol of the past, the neighborhood, and the local struggles “for the redemption that this community has fought for,” as announced by the Municipality of Naples on the occasion of the launch of this plan.
The Vele di Scampia, from a symbol of Gomorra to the dream of regeneration
The Vele, seven in total, were built between 1962 and 1975 based on a design by architect Franz Di Salvo. The project also included community centers and common spaces, a play area for children, and other collective facilities. A ‘socialization nucleus’ that was never realized, contributing to the failure of the work as conceived. Over the years, the Vele became increasingly synonymous with degradation, crime, and drug trafficking. Then the decision to radically relaunch the neighborhood with the demolition of the vast majority, the rehabilitation of some, and the allocation of one for some medical degree programs.
AnsaCollapse of a balcony at the Vele of Scampia: evacuation of residents – July 23, 2024