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Rescuers work amid the rubble the collapsed building near Naples. Crio Fuscio/PA Images

Apartment block collapses in Italy leaving up to eight people trapped inside

The collapse happened in a seaside town near Naples.

A FIVE-STORY apartment block collapsed early this morning near the southern Italian city of Naples, and authorities were digging by hand to find anyone trapped.

Firefighters said in a tweet that up to eight people may be buried in the rubble in the seaside town of Torre Annunziata, some 4 kilometres from the Pompeii archaeological site.

The news agency ANSA quoted witnesses as saying that there was no explosion before the collapse sometime after 6 am, but that a train had just passed by on adjacent train tracks.

Images show the structure partially collapsed, revealing the interior of some apartments.

Some 30 rescue workers were removing rubble by hand, passing it out in buckets, as firefighters on long, retractable ladders checked the stability of the section that remained intact.

At one point, the digging was paused while a sniffer dog checked the scene.

Italy Building Collapse At least eight people may be buried in the rubble of the collapsed building. Ciro Fuscio / PA Images Ciro Fuscio / PA Images / PA Images

News reports indicated that reconstruction work was being carried out on the building before the collapse.

The train line that passes Mount Vesuvius and connects Naples with such tourist sites as Pompeii and the Amalfi coast has been closed.

Read: Deaths and abuse of migrants ‘clearly linked’ to EU policies, says Amnesty >

Read: Italy threatens to close its ports to foreign ships that rescue migrants from the sea >

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14 Comments
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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Jul 7th 2017, 9:57 AM

    Awful time of day for this to happen

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    Mute Timmy
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:14 AM

    @Nick Allen: And what time of day is good for this to happen?

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:21 AM

    @Timmy:

    When people are not in bed asleep which tends to maximise occupancy levels of the building. During the day people are often out at work / school / college / shops with leaves fewer people at home.

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    Mute Government Sachs
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:21 AM

    @Timmy: when everyone is at mass

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    Mute Timmy
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:28 AM

    @Nick Allen: Fewer people at home still means someone can be there to die. 1 death is no better than 2.

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    Mute Rui Firmino
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:36 AM

    @Timmy: It is, actually

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:37 AM

    @Timmy:

    When you post a daft comment with a taste of sarcasm which you haven’t thought through and are then caught out you should run for cover rather than digging the hole further. Obviously it would be better if the building didn’t collapse but if there is going to be deaths then fewer deaths is preferred to more deaths. So one death would be better than two deaths

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    Mute Dearbhla Russell
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:49 AM

    @Nick Allen: for jaysis sake lads. Ye would fight about anything on the journal. Bunch of self absorbed sanctimonious go**hites.
    Grow up.

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    Mute Nick Allen
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:55 AM

    @Dearbhla Russell:

    Should I not reply to people when the ask me a question or should I not reply when someone disagrees with something I post. Is that not how the comments section on here work? Maybe climb down a little from your high horse

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    Mute Dearbhla Russell
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    Jul 7th 2017, 10:56 AM

    @Nick Allen: i rest my case

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    Mute Chris Linehan
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    Jul 7th 2017, 11:33 AM

    Fight fight fight fight!

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jul 7th 2017, 11:49 AM

    @Dearbhla Russell: correct Derbhla

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    Mute Dermot Lane
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    Jul 7th 2017, 11:52 AM

    @Dearbhla Russell: have to agree with you

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    Mute Timmy
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    Jul 7th 2017, 11:56 AM

    @Nick Allen: All I’m saying is that there is no good time for an apartment block to collapse if anyone is inside. Anyone who can’t see that clearly has no value for human life

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