Morimasa Hibino, 69, lost his balance and plunged from the famous monument in the Italian capital in front of his daughter – where he was tragically pronounced dead by emergency services
A tourist has been killed after falling from a famous monument in Rome in front of his horrified daughter.
Morimasa Hibino, a Japanese national, lost his balance and is believed to have fallen roughly 22ft to his death last night at around 9:50pm local time. The 69-year-old plunged from the Pantheon’s perimeter wall in the Italian capital while reportedly sat on the edge of the monument. Police were alerted to the tragedy when a priest who was passing by saw the man lying in a ditch, Italian newspapser la Repubblica reports. Emergency services and firefighters raced to the historic site, where a gate outside the landmark had to be forced open to reach the tourist. But despite their best efforts, the man was declared dead at the scene.
Officers are now investigating the circumstances surrounding his death, but said the man was sitting on the edge of the wall before losing his balance and falling from a height. As part of the probe, officers have obtained CCTV images and videos showing the area where the man was sitting before the horror unfolded. His devastated daughter told police that her dad fell after he became overwhelmed by a sudden illness.
The Pantheon is known for being Rome’s best-preserved ancient monument, which now serves as a church and major tourist attraction. Friday’s tragedy comes just months after an American tourist was seriously injured after impaling himself on a metal fence whilst taking a selfie at Rome’s Colosseum.
The man, a US citizen living in Taiwan, had climbed up one of the railings between the Colosseum’s seven-metre long arches but slipped and fell onto a sharp metal spike, which pierced his spine – leaving him dangling from the fence screaming until he fell unconscious.
The 47-year-old is thought to have been trying to get a better view of the iconic landmark, with local press speculating he was attempting to capture a dramatic selfie. He was swiftly rushed to San Giovanni Hospital for surgery in “code red” condition – meant for life-threatening emergency – where he was later described as being in a serious but stable condition.