Cheese-Killer: Grana Padano Owner Giacomo Chiapparini Found Dead
Italian 75-year-old entrepreneur Giacomo Chiapparini met a tragic end during a collapse of cheese racks at his dairy storage facility, as reported by l'Eco di Bergamo.
The owner of the 'Grana Padano' cheese production company went missing on Sunday evening. Following a night of search efforts, he was found lifeless, crushed by thousands of 'Grana Padano' cheese wheels after the racks collapsed at the dairy plant in Romano di Lombardia, in the province of Bergamo.
The collapse of 25,000 cheese wheels was due to a technical malfunction. The fall of the first metal rack triggered a deadly domino effect, burying the man without a chance to save himself. At the time, he was working on a machine to change the cheese moulds, inside the warehouse built in the early 2000s, which automatically flips the trays. The cheese ripening storage area was fully stocked with cheese wheels covering the walls in width and height. There were 10 corridors, each containing over 1,500 wheels.
The sound of the collapse alerted the farmer's son and some workers who were nearby, prompting immediate alarm. Over 20 firefighters from Bergamo, Treviglio, Romano, and Dalmine rushed to the scene, working alongside 118 rescuers throughout the night. AREU (Regional Agency for Emergency Situations and Urgent Situations) also dispatched a team from USRS (Urban Search and Rescue Service). Chiapparini's body, survived by two children, his wife, and grandchildren, was found around 8:45 am on Monday, about ten meters away from the machine.
The chances of finding the entrepreneur alive were nearly impossible due to the large amount of cheese and its substantial weight.
The exact cause of the shelf collapse is yet to be determined, but it is likely linked to a malfunction in the system that moves the cheese wheels, which Chiapparini used in the dairy facility.
Currently, the Carabinieri and ATS Bergamo are investigating the cause of the 'domino effect' collapse of the racks, which affected an area of two thousand square meters, in an effort to reconstruct the tragedy.
The financial losses, which are also substantial, are currently being assessed.