Seven under investigation after deadly accident at Rome’s Colosseum

If you’ve ever stood inside Rome’s Colosseum, you may have looked up at the ancient stonework and wondered how people managed to build such a place nearly 2,000 years ago. Today, the monument is one of Italy’s biggest tourist attractions, with thousands of visitors passing through its arches every day.

But behind the scenes, the Colosseum is also a working site, with specialist crews carrying out maintenance and improvement work in parts of the ancient structure that visitors never see. That work is now at the centre of an investigation involving seven people after the death of a young worker.

22-year-old worker dies at Colosseum

Andrea Moretti, 22, was working on the installation of a new lighting system inside the Colosseum when he fell around 10 metres between the second and third levels of the ancient amphitheatre shortly before midnight on Tuesday. Two other workers were inside the monument at the time, including Moretti’s brother-in-law.

They did not see the fall but heard the impact and raised the alarm. Emergency services attempted to resuscitate Moretti, but he died at the scene. Moretti was a specialist in rope-access work and was carrying out the job at height as part of the lighting project. His death prompted prosecutors in Rome to open an investigation into alleged culpable homicide and possible breaches of workplace safety regulations.

Seven people under investigation

Seven people have now been placed under investigation while prosecutors examine who was responsible for workplace safety during the project. Investigators have obtained documentation relating to the companies involved in the work, including the subcontractor carrying out the installation.

The investigation is looking at the organisation of the job, the safety measures in place and the chain of responsibility between the different companies involved. Being placed under investigation in Italy does not mean the individuals have been found responsible for Moretti’s death or that they will necessarily face trial.

Safety equipment examined

One of the main questions concerns the equipment Moretti was using when he fell. According to investigators, he was wearing his harness and other protective equipment, but his safety rope was not attached when he was found. The rope itself had not broken and was located several metres above the point where Moretti fell.

Investigators have seized the equipment for technical examination as they try to establish why the rope was not attached and whether this played a role in the accident. CCTV footage from the area has also been collected, while a drone was used to document the location where the fall occurred. Human error has not been ruled out, but prosecutors have not established that this was the cause. They are examining the equipment, working arrangements and responsibilities surrounding the project before drawing conclusions.

Colosseum closed following death

The Colosseum was closed following Moretti’s death as a mark of respect for the young worker and his family. The closure is expected to continue until Saturday, September 26, when the monument is due to reopen to visitors. Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli is also due to meet workers at the Archaeological Park before the reopening.

The investigation is examining why the work was being carried out at night as well as the arrangements for supervising the project. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, September 28, at the University of Rome La Sapienza’s forensic medicine institute. The results, together with the technical examination of Moretti’s safety equipment and other evidence gathered from the site, will help prosecutors establish what happened during the final moments before the fall and whether any workplace safety rules were breached.