Horror as boy crushed by iron gate as he played
A BOY of four died after being crushed by an iron gate during a family holiday to Italy. Angelo Quirino had been visiting relatives when the 450lb gate toppled on to him.
The boy was only three days into a trip to the coastal region of Anzio, around 40 miles south of Rome.
It is understood he had been playing football with his older brother when the sliding gate fell on him.
His uncle heard his screams but when he arrived on the scene, Angelo, from Manchester, was unconscious.
An air ambulance was called and medics tried for more than 45 minutes to revive the child. But he had suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
After hearing about the tragedy on Saturday, his father Amedeo, who was not on the holiday, flew out.
Imma Totaro, 44, who knows the family from a Facebook group for Italian mothers based in Manchester, said: ‘He was a beautiful boy. Everyone who met him loved him. And he was his mum’s treasure – she never took her eyes off him.
‘It is your worst nightmare, to go on holiday and come back without your child.’
Angelo’s uncle, Giuseppe Quirino, paid tribute to his nephew with a poem he posted on Facebook. He wrote: ‘Wonder... a hug, and a kiss to Angelo, who here does not smile: now you are, a beautiful little angel.’
The youngster, who was to start school in Manchester next month, moved to Britain from Anzio in 2015. He had been staying in a rented holiday home in the Marechiaro district with his mother Roberta, eight-year-old brother and younger sister, Italian media reported.
It was the first time the rental property had been hired out.
Luciano Bruschini, mayor of Anzio, expressed his condolences to the grieving family in a statement. He said: ‘A tragedy has shattered our community. The city of Anzio is with the Quirino family, who are experiencing the greatest pain that life can have in store for us.’
The boy’s friends and family have launched a fundraising bid on charity website JustGiving. They said: ‘We decided to raise funds to help Roberta and Amedeo to deal with the expenses a little bit.
‘Such a tragedy should never happen to anyone.’