Rome’s Colosseum closes after worker dies in fall

The Colosseum in Rome closed to visitors on Wednesday after Andrea Moretti, a 22-year-old technician, died in a fall while working overnight on a new lighting system inside the monument. The closure was extended from the affected upper tier to the entire site after initial morning tours had taken place, officials said. Italy’s Culture Ministry identified Moretti as a specialist rope-access worker. The ministry said he fell while installing the lighting system; reports put the fall at about 10 meters, a figure attributed to officials and news agencies. The exact circumstances and cause have not been established in the available accounts. Authorities said they were working to determine what happened. The Colosseum’s archaeological park initially planned to close only the upper tier where the work was taking place, then extended the closure to the full monument. The Culture Ministry said an immediate entrance closure could have left crowds gathering outside and potentially affected safety and public order. The first visitors were allowed to complete their tours before the site shut, according to officials.