Among them two children: 3 dead in building collapse in southern Italy

Two sibling children and a woman lost their lives near Naples, southern Italy, after the collapse of a two-story building where they were residing, according to the fire brigade.

Firefighters wrote on the platform “X”: “Firefighters found a father and a baby alive, but unfortunately discovered the bodies of two other children,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The collapse of the building, located in the town of Saviano, is believed to have been caused by a gas explosion, according to local media, which reported that the girl was 4 years old and her brother was 6 years old.

After hours of searching with the help of police dogs, firefighters found the body of a woman “yet to be identified,” said Luca Cari, spokesperson for the fire department, to “Rai News 24”. He added, “It’s a woman, and we are currently working to retrieve (the body) from the rubble,” emphasizing the complexity of the rescue operations.

Local media reported that the woman was the children’s grandmother and lived on the second floor of the building. The mother is still missing, according to media reports.

More than 60 civil protection volunteers participated in the rescue operations, according to the Campania region.

The father and baby, once pulled from the rubble, were taken to the hospital, and the father’s condition is serious.

Photos shared by the firefighters show two large holes in the roof of the building, which partially collapsed.