A mother and two of her children have been crushed to death when part of a building collapsed on to them in Italy – as her oldest son watched in horror.
Fouzia Taoufiq, 38, and her five-year-old son Soulaymane Hannach died instantly when they were hit by falling bricks and mortar around 5.30pm Wednesday in the town of Albizzate, near Milan.
Meanwhile 15-month-old daughter Yaoucut, who was being pushed in a stroller, was pulled alive from the rubble and taken to a nearby hospital – but later died.
Fouzia Taoufiq, 38, was killed along with daughter Yaoucut (pictured here on her first birthday) when a building fell on them in Italy on Wednesday. Also killed was five-year-old Soulaymane, while the eldest son, nine, saw the tragedy but survived (it is not clear which boy is which)
A 38-year-old mother-of-three, named locally as Fouzia Taoufiq, has been killed along with her five-year-old son Soulaymane Hannach after a building collapsed on them in Italy
The accident occurred when a decorative cornice nearly 230ft long that was overhanging the street suddenly fell, pulling a large piece of wall down with it.
A 42-year-old woman was also injured, though not critically.
A witness who was working in a nearby supermarket said he heard a noise ‘like an explosion’ and ran outside to find the building had collapsed.
He told Reppublica: ‘Across the street was the eldest son of the dead woman. He was in tears, he asked about his mother.
‘I took him to the supermarket until his dad, who was at work, arrived.’
Father Noureddine Hannach, who is employed nearby as a mechanic, arrived at the scene as rescuers were still working and described it as a ‘slaughterhouse’.
‘Losing a wife and two children was a blow, it will be difficult,’ he said.
The woman’s 15-month-old daughter, Yaoucut, was pulled alive from the rubble by rescuers and taken to hospital via air ambulance but later died of her injuries
A 42-year-old woman was also injured in the accident, which happened near a popular supermarket (pictured, witnesses outside the supermarket)
‘I did not sleep. My eldest son is at a friend’s house; he says he is doing well. He saw everything.
‘We were married since 2007. I have been in Italy for 20 years, my wife since 2009.
‘My children were born in Italy, the oldest in Bari, the other two who died were born here, in Gallarate.’
The building itself is an old factory which has been converted into businesses including a supermarket and a pizzeria.
A ‘twin’ building across the street which includes another supermarket has been closed as a precaution.
Mirko Zorzo, mayor of the town, also witnessed the collapse because his office is in the building where it happened – and narrowly avoided being crushed himself.
The street pictured before the building, seen here on the left, collapsed – with the cornice overhanging the pavement
Mr Zorzo said he was leaving the building when it came down and was just 20cm from where the rubble landed.
He said: ‘I am upset, at the moment I do not feel like commenting much. I am talking with emergency services to reconstruct what happened.’
Francesco Bruno, an inspector with the fire department, said it appears the cornice detached from the main building very quickly and almost in one piece.
No damage was caused inside the building, and investigations are ongoing to determine what led up to the collapse.
The local prosecutor has opened a manslaughter investigation though it is not yet clear who – if anybody – is to blame for the incident.