Tragedy in Partinico: Mother and Son Die from CO₂ in Tank

A tragedy struck Partinico, in the province of Palermo, where a mother and her son died from carbon dioxide poisoning. Rosalia La Manna, 37, and Vincenzo Troia, 21, were found lifeless in the garage of their home on Via Lorenzo Perosi.

Initial reconstructions indicate the cause was the emission of carbon dioxide from two underground tanks in the garage. The young Vincenzo went down to retrieve olive harvesting nets and immediately fainted due to the high concentrations of CO₂. His mother, rushing to help him, suffered the same fate.

Firefighters with the specialized NBCR team intervened on the scene, confirming the absence of oxygen and the presence of dangerous concentrations of gas. The Carabinieri have launched an investigation to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine any potential responsibility.

The tragedy in Partinico stems from a combination of factors related to local agricultural life and a dangerous transformation of storage spaces. The two cisterns, originally built for wine storage, had been repurposed by the victim, the owner of an agricultural business, into storage for the nets used in olive harvesting.

The danger developed gradually over the course of about a year. The nets, left inside the buried cisterns, began to trap plant residues which, as they decomposed, produced a significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂). This gas, colorless and odorless but heavier than air, can create areas completely devoid of oxygen in enclosed, unventilated spaces.

The incident highlights a risk often underestimated in rural areas: the improper repurposing of cisterns and underground spaces without considering the chemical hazards arising from the decomposition of organic materials. The mayor of Partinico has issued an appeal for the proper management of these spaces, especially during the grape harvest and olive harvesting periods.