- Tragic Fatality: Man Crushed by Cheese Wheels
- Warehouse Shelf Collapse Leads to Catastrophe
- Economic Losses Mount as Valuable Cheese Ruined
Authorities report that an Italian man was crushed to death by thousands of wheels of Parmesan-style cheese.
74-year-old Giacomo Chiapparini was buried when a shelf collapsed in his warehouse in the Lombardy region on Sunday, according to AFP firefighter Antonion Dusi.
The collapse caused a cascade effect that brought down thousands of wheels, each weighing approximately 40 kilograms (84 pounds).
Mr. Dusi stated that it took 12 hours to locate Mr. Chiapparini’s corpse.
A resident told Italian media that the collapse sounded “like thunder” after a portion of the wheels fell approximately 10 meters (33 feet).
The economic harm has been estimated at €7 million (£6 million).
A neighbor described Mr. Chiapparini to the Italian media as “very supportive… and generous.” Moreover, he reportedly lost a child decades ago.
The warehouse in Romano di Lombardia, located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Milan, held a total of 25,000 wheels of Grana Padano, a hard cheese similar to Parmesan that is renowned in Italy.
