A tourist walking along the narrow streets of the Italian city of Naples with her boyfriend was tragically killed after a statue fell from a balcony and hit her on the head.
Chiara Jaconis, aged 30, was walking with her partner in Via Sant’Anna di Palazzo with CCTV showing her carrying her luggage just hours before she was due to catch a flight home to Padua in the north of the country.
Horror footage in the Italian media show the moment the piece of stonework struck Ms Jaconis on Sunday, but Express.co.uk have chosen not to share this footage.
It’s reported the statue fell from a height of around 30 feet before striking Ms Jaconis on the head, as it does so she crumples to the ground and her boyfriend rushes to her side. Despite being taken to hosptial, sadly she died from her wounds on Tuesday.
Local media Pagina 12 reports investigators are working on the assumption children playing on a balcony above may have dislodged the statue.
Ms Jaconis’s father, Gianfranco Jaconis, expressed his pain and gratitude towards the medical staff in Naples.
He told Italian media: “The biggest hug is for them; I found a fabulous hospital, great professionalism, and above all, great humanity.”
Ms Jaconis is reported to have worked for the fashion designer Prada and is said to have lived in Paris for the past six years. Italian media said the trip to Naples had been a birthday gift from her boyfriend.
The Naples Prosecutor’s Office have identified the house from which the statue fell and investigators believe children playing pushed the small heavy statue from the balcony accidentally.
If prosecuted those responsible for knocking the statue onto the head of Ms Jaconis could face manslaughter charges, but no statement has been as yet as to any suspects being charged.
The mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, and the Councillor of Tourism, Teresa Armato, along with the mayor of Padua, Sergio Giordani, and the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia, expressed their support to the Jaconis family.
Governor Zaia said: “The news of her death shocks and saddens us.”
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