A gas explosion tore through a two-storey home in the town of Saviano, near Naples, claiming the lives of four members of the same family, including two young children. The blast, which occurred early Monday morning, partially collapsed the house, reducing it to rubble and leaving a community in mourning.
Among the victims were a boy and a girl, their mother, and their grandmother. The father and a newborn baby were rescued alive from the debris, though the father remains in critical condition at a Naples hospital. Thankfully, the baby’s injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening.
According to the Vigili del Fuoco, Italy's national fire service, the family lived on different floors of the house, with the parents and children residing on one level and the grandmother on the other. Rescue teams worked tirelessly throughout the day and night, eventually recovering the bodies of the mother and grandmother, with the grandmother being located after midnight.
The explosion occurred around 07:00 local time, and while investigations are still ongoing, early reports suggest a gas leak may have triggered the deadly blast. Drone footage from the scene shows the extent of the destruction, with large sections of the roof blown off and the structure reduced to a pile of debris.
Over 60 civil protection volunteers were involved in the rescue operation, using sniffer dogs to search for survivors and meticulously sifting through the wreckage to avoid any further structural collapses. The emotional rescue operation was shared by the fire service, which released images of teams working late into the night to bring closure to the grieving family.
