Rome: Horror as tourist falls 22ft to his death in front of daughter at popular monument | World | News
A tourist has fallen 22ft to his death in Rome after losing balance at the world-famous Pantheon. Morimasa Hibino, a 69-year-old from Japan, is reported to have fallen at around 9.50pm local time (8.50pm GMT) on Friday (October 24).
According to local media, he dropped from the Pantheon’s perimeter wall in front of his horrified daughter. He was found lying in a ditch before a passerby priest phoned the emergency services. They rushed to the scene and forced open a gate outside the landmark but Mr Hibino was pronounced dead.
As reported by The Sun, police have since launched a full investigation into his death. It’s reported that he was sitting on the edge of the wall before losing balance and dropping to the ground below.
His daughter added that he was struck by a sudden illness which caused him to fall. Police officers are now examining CCTV images to determine exactly what happened.
The Pantheon, which was built under Emperor Hadrian around 126 AD, is considered Rome’s best-preserved ancient building. It is famous for its huge concrete dome with a central opening called the oculus.
The attraction is visited by between seven and nine million tourists every year. It is one of the most visited sites in the whole of Rome due to its stunning ancient architecture and historical significance.
A young British tourist tragically died while on holiday in Rome last year. The 14-year-old girl suffered an anaphylactic shock shortly after touching down in the city with her parents.
The family had enjoyed pizza, drinks and a dessert before leaving a restaurant. However, the girl, who had a severe peanut allergy, began to experience symptoms of an anaphylactic shock.
Minutes after arriving at their accommodation, the girl was barely able to breathe. Paramedics descended on the scene and rushed the girl to hospital, but she was tragically pronounced dead on arrival.
In 2023, two irish tourists were run over and killed in the Italian capital city. The victims, aged 59 and 60, were crossing a junction with traffic lights when they were hit by a Ford Fiesta.
