Rome’s Colosseum closed after worker falls to his death

The Colosseum was closed to the public on Wednesday after a technician working on a rope inside the ancient Roman amphitheater fell to his death the previous night. Italy’s Ministry of Culture decided on the rare closure in mourning of the worker, Andrea Moretti, according to a social media post. The ministry later said the closure would also last through Thursday and that it would refund tourists’ bookings.

Moretti was 22 years old. He was working to install a new lighting system at the Colosseum when he fell over 30 feet, according to Italian news outlet RomaToday. First responders were unable to save his life, according to the outlet. The culture ministry originally planned to only close the area of the Colosseum where he died, but later blocked off the entire structure, according to the outlet.

It was unclear what led to Moretti’s death, but the city prosecutor opened a manslaughter case for possible occupational safety violations, according to RomaToday.