ROME -- Two firefighters have died falling from a cliff whilst trying to save a family from a house which had caught fire in Nova Siri, officials from the region of Basilicata have said.

  Giuseppe Lasalata and Antonio Martino, both 45, had been trying to reach an inhabited house in Contrada Cozzuolo in Nova Siri, which was surrounded by burning vegetation. The firefighters, who had arrived from Policoro, fell from a cliff and were then engulfed in flames. The two bodies have now been recovered. 

  “They wanted to save a family, and their house, which was in danger of the flames,” the mayor of Nova Siri,Antonello Mele said, “They behaved like heroes.” 

  “In these painful circumstances, I would like to express my solidarity with the National Fire Brigade Corps,” President Sergio Mattarella said from Brazil. 

  Matteo Piantedosi, the Interior Minister, also offered his condolences. “I am deeply saddened for the two firefighters who died.” 

  “As soon as I learnt of the tragic deaths of the two firefighters, I went to the site, accompanied by the head of the regional civil protection society, Giovanni di Bello,” President of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, said. 

  “This news shocks me, because two men lost their lives whilst carrying out their work. We are waiting to understand the dynamics of what happened from the firefighters themselves. However, I’d like to express my sympathy and condolences to the families of the two firemen.” 

  The tragedy has also sparked concern and contempt from the unions, which have noted the worsening of workplace safety standards in recent years according to data from INAIL. With almost 400 deaths at work in Italy in 2024, and the region of Basilicata having 25 per cent more incidents than the national average, UIL Basilicata is relaunching the “Zero deaths at work” campaign. 

  “The tragedy which occurred in Nova Siri must provoke an immediate reaction to work-related deaths in the whole country from unions and workers,” wrote the regional secretary for the union UIL, Vincenzo Tortorelli. 

lw