A tragic incident occurred in Rome as a tourist, identified as Morimasa Hibino, a Japanese national, lost his balance and fell approximately 22 feet to his death from the Pantheon’s perimeter wall. The 69-year-old man was sitting on the edge of the monument when the accident happened around 9:50 pm local time. The authorities were alerted by a passing priest who discovered the man in a ditch. Despite the efforts of emergency services and firefighters who rushed to the scene and had to force open a gate to reach him, the man was pronounced dead on-site.
An investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the man’s fatal fall. Reports indicate that he was sitting on the wall before losing his balance and falling. CCTV footage from the area where he was seated before the tragedy unfolded has been obtained as part of the inquiry. The man’s daughter informed the police that her father fell due to sudden illness, leaving her devastated.
The Pantheon, a renowned ancient monument in Rome functioning as a church and a popular tourist spot, witnessed this unfortunate incident. This tragedy follows a previous incident where an American tourist, a US citizen residing in Taiwan, suffered serious injuries after falling onto a metal spike at the Colosseum while attempting to take a selfie. The tourist had climbed a railing between the Colosseum’s arches for a better view, but slipped and impaled himself on the sharp metal, leading to a precarious situation until he was rescued.
The 47-year-old victim was promptly taken to San Giovanni Hospital for urgent surgery in critical condition, with subsequent reports describing his state as serious but stable.