A gas explosion in southern Italy claimed the lives of four family members, including two young children, after their home partially collapsed.
The incident took place early Monday morning in Saviano, a town located near Naples, where the blast obliterated a two-storey house.
Among the victims were a boy and a girl, their mother, and their grandmother.
Italian firefighters, known as the Vigili del Fuoco, managed to rescue the father and a newborn baby from the wreckage.
The father is currently in serious condition at a hospital in Naples, while the baby’s injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening, according to local news sources.
“The parents and their three children lived on one floor of the house, while the grandmother lived on the floor above,” the Vigili del Fuoco said in a statement.
Rescue teams worked throughout the day and into the night to recover the victims, eventually locating the mother at 16:45 and the grandmother after midnight.
The explosion occurred around 7:00 AM local time (6:00 AM BST). While the precise cause remains under investigation, early indications suggest that a gas explosion led to the collapse.
Drone footage from the scene showed large holes in the building’s roof, with much of the structure reduced to rubble.
More than 60 volunteers from civil protection were engaged in the rescue efforts, which continued for hours with the help of sniffer dogs.
The fire service shared images of the rescue teams working diligently through the night, carefully sifting through debris to prevent further collapses.