A gas explosion in southern Italy has claimed the lives of four family members, including two young children, after their home partially collapsed.
The incident occurred in the town of Saviano, near Naples, early Monday morning, leaving the two-storey house in ruins.
The victims of this tragic blast were a young boy, a girl, their mother, and their grandmother.
However, the father and a newborn baby were pulled from the rubble alive. The father remains in serious condition at a Naples hospital, while the baby sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to local media.
The family lived on one floor of the house, with the grandmother residing on the upper floor, according to a statement by Italian firefighters, the Vigili del Fuoco.
Rescue operations, which involved over 60 civil protection volunteers and sniffer dogs, went on for hours. The mother’s body was discovered at 16:45, and the grandmother’s was found after midnight.
Preliminary investigations suggest a gas explosion caused the collapse, but the exact cause is still being investigated.
Drone footage and images shared by the fire service showed large gaps in the roof and significant destruction to the structure as rescue workers sifted through the debris.
Get instant and latest news updates via Our WhatsApp Community or Google News online channel.