Italian Cheesemaker Crushed to Death by Thousands of Cheese Rounds in Factory
Bergamo, Italy - A tragic incident occurred on Sunday at a cheese factory in Bergamo, northern Italy, where an Italian cheesemaker lost his life after being crushed by thousands of rounds of Grana Padano cheese. The local authorities confirmed the unfortunate incident.
The victim, identified as Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, had entered the aging room of his factory to inspect the automatic robot responsible for cleaning the cheese rounds during the aging process. According to the Bergamo Carabinieri, Chiapparini’s company’s warehouse was the location of the incident.
The aging room contained approximately 10 corridors filled with floor-to-ceiling shelves, each holding around 1,600 rounds of cheese. It remains unclear how the initial collapse occurred, triggering a “domino effect” that ultimately led to Chiapparini’s tragic demise.
Upon receiving the distress call, Carabinieri officials, along with the fire brigade, two ambulance services, and other local authorities, rushed to the scene at around 9 p.m. local time on Sunday (3 p.m. ET). The search for Chiapparini’s body under the massive pile of cheese rounds took over 11 hours.
The victim was eventually identified by his grieving family, who reside and work in the cheese factory. A spokesperson for the Carabinieri confirmed that Chiapparini’s funeral will be held on Thursday, allowing his loved ones to bid him a final farewell.
Chiapparini’s factory, established in the late 1970s, is known for producing approximately 15,000 wheels of Grana Padano cheese annually. The company utilizes milk from cows raised on-site to create their renowned cheese, which is aged for a period ranging from 12 to 70 months.
The tragic incident has left the local community in shock and mourning the loss of a respected cheesemaker. Authorities are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.
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E a cheesemaker lost his life when he was crushed by thousands of cheese rounds. The dreadful incident took place in Bergamo, a city situated in northern Italy.
Oh my goodness, that is absolutely heartbreaking. Sending thoughts and prayers to the cheesemaker’s family.
How devastating! My heart goes out to the cheesemaker and their loved ones. May they find strength and solace during this difficult time.