Quargnento: building explodes in the province of Alessandria
Explosion in Quargnento, still looking for a missing person
Share
05 November 2019There are three firefighters who died in the explosion of a building in Quargnento, in the province of Alessandria.
Two died instantly, the third, missing after the explosion, was found under the lifeless rubble.
Three wounded: two firefighters and a carabiniere.
The explosion, according to what was reconstructed by the Carabinieri, would have occurred in an uninhabited portion of a farmhouse: in addition to the rescuers, there would therefore be no other people involved.
The malicious hypothesis is certain: timers have in fact been found to remotely control the explosions inside the farmhouse.
Investigation for multiple homicide and collapse
The Prosecutor's Office of Alexandria has opened a file, currently against unknown persons.
Multiple homicide and intentional building collapse are the alleged crimes.
The investigations of the Carabinieri of the Provincial Command of Alessandria, under the orders of Colonel Michele Angelo Lorusso, are coordinated by the prosecutor Enrico Cieri.
On the matter, the investigators, who have listened to the owners of the farmhouse and their families, maintain the utmost confidentiality.
"Arson"
"We fear it is arson," said the chief prosecutor of Alexandria.
"What has been achieved so far", added Cieri, "makes us think of a deliberate and deliberately determined explosion".
"The first hypotheses seem to exclude a subversive-terrorist matrix. For the rest we make the investigators work", said the commissioner of Alessandria Michele Morelli, who arrived at the site of the explosion.
Fire Chief: it is not terrorism
"I am convinced that there is no terrorist attack. There was someone who probably wanted to make an arson attack and set fire to two buildings. I believe, after 40 years of experience, that they didn't want to attract people but set fire to the place and the firefighters found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time ".
This was stated by the head of the National Fire Brigade, Fabio Dattilo to ANSA, reconstructing what happened in Alessandria.
The dynamics
The Alexandria fire brigade team, explained Dattilo, was called around midnight after receiving a report to the single emergency number 112 for a "house fire".
"When the firefighters arrived they saw that there were two buildings within the same perimeter and neither was a fire going on - says the head of the fire brigade - The men entered one of the two buildings , where they had seen signs of forced entry, and they discovered two cylinders from which electric wires were coming out. There were no flames but the gas had escaped anyway and had given life to what we call 'flash fire', a flame that had caused damage to the structure but not the collapse ".
When they left the building, after about an hour of intervention, the firefighters noticed that there were also signs of forced entry on the other building.
"The men went to check what was inside - explains Dattilo - and were immediately hit by the explosion. Three of them, who were inside, were swept away by the rubble of the collapsed building, two others , together with a carabiniere, who were on the outside, were overwhelmed by the shock wave ".
#Quargnento (AL), reconnaissance of the DragoVF helicopter area of the #vigilidelfuoco on the site of the explosion # 5novembre pic.twitter.com/czsQ4YUpG2
- Fire Brigade (@emergenzavvf) November 5, 2019
The unexploded cylinders
The two firefighters and the injured carabiniere were taken to the hospitals of Alessandria and Asti.
Two firefighters died immediately and the body of a third was recovered this morning.
In a lower building adjacent to the collapsed one, two more unexploded kitchen gas cylinders were found connected with electric wires to a rudimentary timer.
Listened to the owner of the farmhouse
The owner of the farmhouse and his wife were heard, according to what is known, in the Solero carabinieri barracks as people informed of the facts.
According to what ANSA has learned, the hypotheses being examined by the investigators do not exclude that of disagreements between the owner of the house and his son, as well as the track linked to insurance compensation and that of a settlement of accounts linked to betting on horses.
At the moment, however, it is emphasized, it is only a working hypothesis: the investigations are continuing at 360 degrees.
The victims
The victims are Matteo Gastaldo, the 46-year-old firefighter found under the rubble, Marco Triches, 38, both from Alessandria, and the 32-year-old Antonio Candido from Reggio Calabria.
Witnesses reported hearing a roar and then cries for help.
The victims of the tragedy in Alessandria: the firefighters Marco Triches (36 years), Matteo Gastaldo (46) and Antonio Candido (32).
The explosion of the Quargnento farmhouse is malicious.
@TgrRai #ioseguoTgr pic.twitter.com/CesTb6sz9W
- Tgr Rai Piemonte (@TgrPiemonte) November 5, 2019
The farmhouse was on sale for
750 thousand euros The Quargnento farmhouse was for sale at a price of 750 thousand euros.
On a real estate ad site we talk about "a prestigious and wonderful estate of 30 thousand square meters, a manor house on 3 levels of 450 square meters, a new farmhouse on 2 levels of 160 square meters, several sheds and a horse stable with 10 boxes. ".
The manor house dates back to the end of the 19th century.
The announcement is accompanied by about twenty photographs depicting the interior and exterior of the estate.
The condolences of the institutions
Condolences from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella: "In this painful circumstance - reads a note - I wish to express my solidarity to you and the National Fire Brigade Corps, renewing the deep feeling of trust and gratitude for the generous dedication to the service of the community. I ask you to send to the family the expressions of my heartfelt participation in their condolences and to the wounded Fire Brigade the best wishes for a speedy recovery ".
This is what we read in a press release from the Presidency of the Republic sent to Prefect Mulas.
Condolence was also expressed by the President of the Senate, Elisabetta Casellati, for the firefighters "who died tragically while fulfilling their duty as guardians of the safety of citizens and the security of our territories".
"I hope that full light will be shed on this very serious accident as soon as possible", he hoped.
"Deep condolences and closeness to the families" of the victims also by the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Vito Crimi
"The dynamics must be ascertained in an absolutely correct way".
Thus the Minister of the Interior, Luciana Lamorgese, arrived at the site of the explosion.
"Let the investigations run their course, the judiciary is investigating".
The minister went to visit the wounded at the hospital in Alexandria.
"They are very tried, they think and talk about their colleagues who are no longer with them, they don't think about themselves but about those who are no longer there," said Lamorgese.