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Two pilots killed in military plane crash near Rome

Two Italian Air Force planes collided in mid-air on Tuesday, killing both pilots during training exercises northwest of Rome, officials said.

Published: 7 March 2023 14:51 CET
Two pilots killed in military plane crash near Rome
Two Italian Air Force U-208 aircraft crashed during a training mission on Tuesday, killing both pilots. File Photo: Aeronautica Militare

The two pilots were on board U-208 training aircraft and were participating in a training mission according to a statement from Italy’s air force, the Aeronautica Militare.

The cause of the collision was not immediately known.

Four aircraft were flying in formation when two of the planes collided, witnesses told local media.

One of the aircraft crashed to the ground at the Guidonia air base and the other hit a car parked on a street in the Colfiorito area, Italian news agency Ansa reported.

“We are devastated to hear about the deaths of two Air Force pilots during a training accident near Guidonia,” Meloni said.

The prime minister sent her condolences to the families of the pilots and to members of the Air Force.

The U-208 is a lightweight, single-engine aircraft that can carry up to four passengers, plus the pilot, and has a top speed of 285 km/h (177 mph).

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ROME

Will Rome restrict access to Trevi Fountain to stop unruly tourists?

There were renewed calls to limit access to the Trevi Fountain this week after videos showed a man diving off the 18th-century monument to a round of applause.

Published: 31 July 2023 11:25 CEST
Will Rome restrict access to Trevi Fountain to stop unruly tourists?

Italian authorities have long warned visitors that Rome’s monumental fountains are not for swimming in, but now local politicians say “the time has come to restrict access to the Trevi fountain” as rules are being ignored.

Rome’s tourism councillor on Friday called on the Italian government to limit access and prevent people from swimming in or climbing on the historical monument, after videos shared online showed a man diving off the side of the Trevi Fountain into the waters below last Thursday.

Calling it an “indecent spectacle”, Tourism Councillor Alessandro Onorato said in a video statement that the incident was “yet another tourist making a mockery of the historical and cultural heritage of our city and our rules.”

Italian newspaper La Repubblica shared the video, noting that other visitors did not intervene, and reported that both Italian and foreign tourists instead filmed the stunt on their phones.

Onorato said laughter and “complicit applause” the man received from the crowd was also “very concerning”.

The man turned out not to be a tourist but a local resident who had already been fined for a similar stunt and given a ‘Daspo’ – an anti-social behaviour order banning him from the area – once before, according to national broadcaster Rai.

He reportedly received another fine of 450 euros after being stopped by police on Thursday.

READ ALSO: ‘Selfies and ignorance’: Italy’s Colosseum slams badly-behaved tourists

Onorato urged the Italian government to provide “concrete help” to stop unruly behaviour and said “fines from police and the numerous appeals for common sense are no longer enough.”

“Tourists cannot do whatever they want with impunity, respect is required and we really must preserve the most precious places in the world,” he said.

(Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)

Onorato said the “most appropriate solution” would have to be decided with local safety authorities and government ministries.

This is far from the first time Rome’s politicians have called for access to the Trevi Fountain to be restricted.

A previous plan to erect a one-metre-high glass and steel barrier around the fountain to protect it from unruly visitors was abandoned in 2020 after arts and heritage experts called the idea “foolish”.

Every summer, hapless tourists face fines of hundreds of euros after falling foul of Rome’s strict ban on taking a dip in public fountains.

READ ALSO: From selfie brawls to midnight swims: Tourists behaving badly at the Trevi Fountain

Since 2015, a city ordinance has provided for fines of up to 450 euros for anyone caught swimming in or otherwise misbehaving on Rome’s historic fountains.

And under nationwide laws, anyone found to have damaged the centuries-old Baroque monuments – or any other site of historical and artistic interest in Italy – could be prosecuted and face a fine of up to €15,000 and a prison sentence of up to five years.

These penalties may soon become harsher, as ministers in April approved plans to increase the maximum fines.

Several people risked prosecution in July after a spate of incidents in which visitors to the Colosseum were caught carving their names or initials into the wall of the ancient monument.

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