A tragedy occurred in a supermarket building site on Friday, February 16 as one of the main pillars collapsed in via Mariti, in the Novoli neighbourhood of Florence.
Five construction workers have been confirmed dead and another two labourers were taken to the main Careggi hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.
“Pain and suffering for the tragedy at the construction site of the new supermarket in Florence. We are constantly monitoring the situation. On behalf of @comunefi, I would like to convey my condolences to the victims and thank the emergency responders for their ongoing efforts,” Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, posted on X.
Marina Caprotti, CEO of Esselunga, which is behind the new construction, stated in a new release: “We express deep mourning and closeness to the families affected by the serious accident that happened this morning in the building site in via Mariti in Florence. We are deeply saddened by what has occurred. The construction site had been contracted to a third-party company and we remain available to the authorities to contribute towards clarifying the dynamics of what happened and for anything needed.”
A regional day of grieving in Florence was held on Saturday February 17, with a minute’s silence observed at 3pm in piazza della Signoria.
This article was updated on February 22, 2024.
