A Roman wall at Pompeii in southern Italy has collapsed, local archaeologists said Friday, in the latest in a series of accidents at the ancient city buried by a volcanic explosion 2,000 years ago.
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| A photo taken in September 2012 shows a cordonned-off area after the collapse of a roofing beam at the Pompeii archaeological site. A Roman wall at the site has collapsed, local archaeologists said Friday, in the latest in a series of accidents at the ancient city buried by a volcanic explosion 2,000 years ago [Credit: AFP] |
The section of wall some two metres (seven feet)long was part of the ruins of a house at the sprawling site near Naples. The area has seen heavy rain in recent weeks, and previous collapses have been linked to bad weather.
The area was already closed to the public because it was believed to be at risk. It was scheduled for restoration as part of the “Great Pompeii Project”.
The local archaeological authority said in a statement that the announcement of a tender for the long-delayed conservation project was “imminent”.
The European Union has assigned 105 million euros ($137 million) for the long-delayed project.
Pompeii, which was buried in ash from Vesuvius in AD 79, is the best preserved Roman city in the world.
It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
Source: AFP [November 30, 2012]
