died saving a family –

Two firefighters died while extinguishing a vegetation fire that broke out in the early followingnoon in the Cozzuoli district of the municipality of Nova Siri, in the province of Matera. They are two 45-year-olds from Matera, Nicola Lasalata and Giuseppe Di Martino, on duty at the Policoro Fire Department. Together with a third colleague, who was unharmed, they were trying to reach a house threatened by flames, inside which lives a family with a bedridden person unable to escape. The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. and shortly following, two teams of firefighters intervened on site. Once on site, the mayor of Nova Siri Antonio Mele explained to LaPresse, it was necessary to secure as quickly as possible a house threatened by flames, with a family inside who might not escape due to the presence of a bedridden person. Together with a third colleague, the two firefighters headed toward the house, but fell into a ravine and were engulfed in flames. There was nothing that might be done for them. The prosecutor of the Matera Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Carabinieri arrived on the scene, waiting to recover the bodies once the flames were extinguished and the area was made safe.

“Deep sadness” was expressed by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, for the death “of the coordinating firefighter Nicola Lasalata and the expert firefighter Giuseppe Martino”. “In this painful circumstance I wish to express to you and to the National Fire Brigade Corps my solidarity. Please convey to the families the expressions of my heartfelt participation in their condolences”, stated the Head of State. “Deep sorrow” also for the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “My deepest condolences to the families of the victims and a strong embrace of closeness to their colleagues and to the entire Fire Brigade Corps”, she said.

After learning the news of the death of the two firefighters, the President of the Basilicata Region, Vito Bardi, went to Nova Siri, accompanied by the director of the regional Civil Protection, Giovanni Di Bello. “A piece of news that shocks me,” declared the governor of Basilicata, “because two men lost their lives in the full performance of their work.” The Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, said he was “deeply saddened by the very serious tragedy that affects the entire national Corps” and recalled “the courage and spirit of service that the Firefighters show in every emergency scenario to rescue and secure our communities, putting their safety at risk.” The Minister for Civil Protection, Nello Musumeci, also intervened, expressing his “emotion and anger for the sad and tragic death of two Firefighters,” transmitting “my deepest condolences to the families of the two victims and to the entire Corps to which they belong.”