Rome’s Colosseum shut down after worker falls to his death

Rome’s Colosseum has been closed to the public after a 22-year-old specialist rope worker, Andrea Moretti, fell to his death while installing new lighting at the amphitheatre.

Peoples Gazette reports that Moretti was working a night shift on Tuesday when he fell about 10 metres while suspended above the monument’s highest point.

Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli described the incident as tragic and offered condolences to Moretti’s family.

The ministry said the closure was implemented after the first group of visitors had toured the site, explaining that immediately shutting the entrances could have created crowds outside.

The incident marks the first closure of the Colosseum to visitors since the COVID-19 pandemic. The landmark attracts tens of thousands of visitors daily.