Via Giotto in Foggia building collapse
Encyclopedia
The Viale Giotto 120 Building collapse was a deadly accident which occurred in Foggia
, Italy
in the early morning of November 11, 1999. The building was an apartment complex with 26 flats, at the time less than 30 years old. 71 people lived in the building; 67 people were killed.
First reports from the rescuers stated that 80 people could be buried under the rubble. The first responders succeeded in saving nine survivors, mostly living in the top floors. One family, who had heard strange noises and tried to alert the property manager and the neighbors, escaped the building shortly before the final collapse and wwas found shocked but in good shape.
Due to the likely presence of people under the rubble, excavators
could not help the rescue. Vigili del Fuoco
, volunteers and townspeople worked all night long to remove the debris, aided by search dogs and geophone
s.
A fire broke out in the cellars of the building, where some mattresses were stored. Thick smoke covered the stricken area, impairing rescue operations and probably killing some of the survivors still under the debris. Autopsies later found that most of the victims died of asphyxia
within the first two minutes of the collapse, both from a combination of dust and smoke.
The last survivor was recovered around 11 pm on November 11, while dozens of bodies were still under the rubble. Two days later a public mass
was celebrated in the city fair grounds, where the bodies were stored.
One focus was on enlargement of the underground car parking - it was supposed that some main pillars were cut or removed by the builders combined with heavy rains of the previous days, and the geological conditions of the land under the building, rendered the structure unsafe.
Some victims' relatives said that since the previous August some "squeaks" and noises had been reported in the structure, and misalignment of doors and windows was becoming a common concern. The first reports of potential structural concerns dated back to two full years before the tragedy, and were followed by a technical survey, leading to no remarks.
The final cause was determined to be poor workmanship and materials of the original build. The building was erected during the economic boom, a period where Italy experienced fast growth of cities and industries, and the rebuilding after World War II
was still going on. The enormous demand for new houses led inexperienced builders to the business, and prompted them to cut corners on material quality and reinforcement techniques, to cut cost and increase margins in order to remain competitive. The legacy of those practices is still a source of problems, and was a major cause of death in the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake
.
The builders were brothers Delli Carri, who lived in a penthouse at the top floor. Both died in the tragedy. The engineer who designed the structures, Mr. Inglese, died a few years before the collapse.
The inquiry was officially closed on March 21, 2007, and confirmed that the causes were to be found exclusively in the poor building materials used for the structural cage.
visited the city, and at their request met with victims' relatives. He later spoke to the press.
The disaster led to modifications in laws requiring assessment of old buildings and new guarantees for new ones.
The total body count was of 67 deceased. A monument was placed in the Foggia graveyard to remember the tragedy, and on the 10th anniversary a square was dedicated to the victims.
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the early morning of November 11, 1999. The building was an apartment complex with 26 flats, at the time less than 30 years old. 71 people lived in the building; 67 people were killed.
Collapse
The six-story apartment building, located in the southern outskirts of Foggia, suffered a structural failure and imploded with few immediate warning signs: the whole collapse, registered by the seismographs of the Specola Nigri Institute, lasted only 19 seconds.First reports from the rescuers stated that 80 people could be buried under the rubble. The first responders succeeded in saving nine survivors, mostly living in the top floors. One family, who had heard strange noises and tried to alert the property manager and the neighbors, escaped the building shortly before the final collapse and wwas found shocked but in good shape.
Due to the likely presence of people under the rubble, excavators
Excavator
Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform . The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. A cable-operated excavator uses winches and steel ropes to accomplish the movements. They are a natural progression from the...
could not help the rescue. Vigili del Fuoco
Vigili del Fuoco
The Vigili del Fuoco, literally the Fire Watch, is Italy's institutional agency for fire and rescue service...
, volunteers and townspeople worked all night long to remove the debris, aided by search dogs and geophone
Geophone
The term geophone derives from the Greek word "geo" meaning "earth" and "phone" meaning "sound".A geophone is a device which converts ground movement into voltage, which may be recorded at a recording station...
s.
A fire broke out in the cellars of the building, where some mattresses were stored. Thick smoke covered the stricken area, impairing rescue operations and probably killing some of the survivors still under the debris. Autopsies later found that most of the victims died of asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
within the first two minutes of the collapse, both from a combination of dust and smoke.
The last survivor was recovered around 11 pm on November 11, while dozens of bodies were still under the rubble. Two days later a public mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
was celebrated in the city fair grounds, where the bodies were stored.
Inquiry
A number of suppositions were advanced for the failure. Early speculations about a gas explosion were quickly dismissed.One focus was on enlargement of the underground car parking - it was supposed that some main pillars were cut or removed by the builders combined with heavy rains of the previous days, and the geological conditions of the land under the building, rendered the structure unsafe.
Some victims' relatives said that since the previous August some "squeaks" and noises had been reported in the structure, and misalignment of doors and windows was becoming a common concern. The first reports of potential structural concerns dated back to two full years before the tragedy, and were followed by a technical survey, leading to no remarks.
The final cause was determined to be poor workmanship and materials of the original build. The building was erected during the economic boom, a period where Italy experienced fast growth of cities and industries, and the rebuilding after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
was still going on. The enormous demand for new houses led inexperienced builders to the business, and prompted them to cut corners on material quality and reinforcement techniques, to cut cost and increase margins in order to remain competitive. The legacy of those practices is still a source of problems, and was a major cause of death in the 2009 L'Aquila earthquake
2009 L'Aquila earthquake
The 2009 L'Aquila earthquake occurred in the region of Abruzzo, in central Italy. The main shock occurred at 3:32 local time on 6 April 2009, and was rated 5.8 on the Richter scale and 6.3 on the moment magnitude scale; its epicentre was near L'Aquila, the capital of Abruzzo, which together...
.
The builders were brothers Delli Carri, who lived in a penthouse at the top floor. Both died in the tragedy. The engineer who designed the structures, Mr. Inglese, died a few years before the collapse.
The inquiry was officially closed on March 21, 2007, and confirmed that the causes were to be found exclusively in the poor building materials used for the structural cage.
Aftermath
People in Foggia developed a strong civic feeling in the days after the tragedy. President Carlo Azeglio CiampiCarlo Azeglio Ciampi
dr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...
visited the city, and at their request met with victims' relatives. He later spoke to the press.
The disaster led to modifications in laws requiring assessment of old buildings and new guarantees for new ones.
The total body count was of 67 deceased. A monument was placed in the Foggia graveyard to remember the tragedy, and on the 10th anniversary a square was dedicated to the victims.