7.05pm. The “Al porticello” restaurant no longer exists. The fury of the fire engulfed everything and the Stazzone was left with only a “mountain” of debris made up of incinerated wooden beams and collapsed walls that divided the rooms. The firefighters tried to do the impossible, but it was not possible to save the restaurant business. The agents of the Sciacca police station – they were the ones who gave the alarm to the fire brigade command – are speaking to the owner: a 52-year-old who, apparently, had left the restaurant shortly before. The causes of the fire are not yet clear. The investigative hypothesis, even if the mouths are rigorously sewn shut, is probably that of an accidental fire. And this is because, in fact, the flames broke out just before 4.30 pm. However, no hypothesis is ruled out, not at the moment. It is certain, however, that the restaurant owner is not covered by an insurance policy. In fact, therefore, the restaurateur was ruined.
The policemen from the police station who were in the area for checks launched the SOS. And the officers, without wasting time, trying to avoid risks to those living in the buildings opposite, evacuated everyone. They did so as a precaution, but it was necessary, indeed indispensable, to guarantee public and private safety. A promptness, that of the policemen of the Sciacca police station, which, fortunately, prevented anyone from becoming intoxicated or, even worse, getting hurt. Now it will be up to the investigations, coordinated by the judicial authorities, to clarify the causes of the fire which caused such dismay in the city.
4.40pm. A large fire broke out inside a restaurant in via Lido Esperando, in the Borgo dello Stazzone area, in Sciacca. The firefighters of the city detachment are already at work and the firefighters of Santa Margherita di Belìce and a tanker from the provincial command of Agrigento are also rushing towards the city of the spa. According to current information, the flames are very high and the damage appears to be more than significant. The entire neighborhood is covered in soot. A high column of black smoke is visible from several points in the city.
In via Lido Esperando also the policemen from the city police station who, at the moment, are keeping any onlookers at a distance. The causes of the fire, of course, are unclear. Not currently. Currently the priority is to contain the flames in order to enter the restaurant and make sure that there is no one inside. After more than an hour, much of the restaurant’s roof crumpled and collapsed in on itself.
