Collapsed building in Naples: 2 dead, more people trapped

ROME, Italy –

A two-story building collapsed in the southern Italian province of Naples on Sunday morning, killing two young siblings and trapping their mother and an elderly woman, firefighters said.

Firefighters reported on their official Telegram channel that a gas explosion was likely the cause of the collapse.

Rescue workers in the town of Saviano found the bodies of a six-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl. Their father and two-year-old brother were found alive.

According to local media, the father is in serious condition in hospital in Naples.

Mayor Vincenzo Simonelli was at the scene and told reporters the building looked “collapsed”, adding that the situation was “very serious”.

Fire department spokesman Luca Cari said rescuers had to “act very carefully and slowly to avoid new collapses” as they searched for the two women.

According to media reports, a gas leak may have caused the explosion, which shook the building’s second floor to its foundations. The building collapsed, covering the lower floor with debris.