Horror on the volcano
Boy, 11, falls to his death in crater and parents are killed trying to save him
A COUPLE and their 11-year-old son died yesterday when they plunged into a steaming volcanic crater at a popular tourist attraction.
The boy is believed to have fallen into a hole which opened up in the ground after he wandered into a fenced-off area at the site near Naples, Italy.
His father, 45, and mother, 42, also tumbled to their deaths as they tried to rescue him, reports said.
Their other son, seven, escaped unharmed and was found running from the scene in tears by tourists. The tragedy happened at the Solfatara of Pozzuoli, part of a large volcanic field which has been open to visitors for more than a century.
The victims were named in Italian media reports as Massimiliano Carrer, his wife Tiziana Zampella and son Lorenzo, from the town of Meolo, near Venice. It is not known if they died as a result of molten lava or deadly gases. Post-mortem examinations will be carried out later.
Emergency services pulled the victims out of the sink hole, estimated to be up to 10ft deep.
Fire brigade spokesman Luca Cari said: ‘Either there was a small explosion or the ground gave way from their weight and they fell into this hole. It was inside a fenced-off area.’ The seven-year-old boy did not fall into the hole and was said to be
‘I saw a child run crying’
in ‘great shock’. The owner of a bar at the entrance to the volcanic site said he ‘kept asking where his family was’.
Witness Diego Vitagliano, a local pizza maker visiting the site, said: ‘I saw a child run crying. I did not think I was facing the worst tragedy of my life.
‘They pulled out two bodies, then pulled us away. I continue to think about that family and that poor baby crying and asking for help.’ The precise circumstances of how the boy and his parents came to fall into the hole were not clear and officials are likely to have to question the surviving child about the tragedy.
The accident happened at the Bocca Grande, the largest of the fumaroles, or vents, in the area – which the ancient Romans called the home of the god of fire.
The volcanic field is scorching hot only a few inches below the surface. Hot steam reaching about 160C (320F) is emitted through the fumarole with hydrogen sulphide gas, which smells of rotten eggs.
The 33-hectare volcanic site contains around 40 craters and is supposed to be safe to visit.
There are warning signs at the privately owned Solfatara crater and visitors are told not to climb the slopes or go beyond fences. Reports suggest the 11-year-old went beyond a barrier into a danger zone.
Recent heavy rain may have played a role by creating more surface openings.
Romans believed the area guarded the entrance to the underworld. The Solfatara crater, part of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area formed 40,000 years ago, last erupted in 1198.
But it is still active and as it gets hotter over time, the surface inflates like the lid of a pot. It has become a popular attraction for tourists, who come to see the bubbling mud pools and steam spouts.