NAPLES – A partial structural collapse in a Neapolitan cemetery left coffins hanging precariously and remains visible, authorities said on Tuesday.

 Camera footage captured a thick dust cloud, along with a loud crash around 2 p.m. when the western wall of the La Cappella della Resurrezione caved in. Dozens of coffins were affected, with several remaining perilously balanced and others seriously damaged. Human remains also lay exposed. Local police and firefighters arrived at the four-story crypt, located near the cemetery crematorium, shortly afterwards. 

 “Years of Neapolitan history and memories erased, in all likelihood, by human arrogance,” said Gennaro Tammaro, secretary general of the Italian Association of Funeral Homes (AssoFuneral). “We are asking for quick and clear answers, and for the institutions to do everything in their power immediately to control this dreadful situation”.

 Authorities, having assessed the extent of the damage at the scene, on Tuesday prohibited all access to the Cemetery Poggioreale as a precaution. The Prefecture of Naples planned a specific meeting for the same day in order to address the relevant and responsible institutions. This is the second such disaster this year, after a three-story building collapsed in January in a different section of the cemetery. 

 jp-es