An 11-Year-Old Boy and His Parents Have Died After Falling Into a Dormant Volcano

Firefighters have recovered the bodies of an 11-year-old boy and his parents, who died after falling into the crater of a dormant volcano near Naples in southern Italy.

The boy, who reportedly entered a prohibited area at the Solfatara di Pozzuoli volcano Tuesday, is believed to have fainted after inhaling sulphuric fumes, the Guardian reports citing Italian media.

His parents attempted to save him when the crater collapsed underneath them, either after a small explosion or simply giving way under their weight, according to firefighters who attended the scene.

The couple’s other child, aged seven, reportedly ran to a nearby bar to get help after seeing his parents and brother fall into the three-meter crater.

“He didn’t know whether they were alive or dead. He was crying and calling his mother’s name,” said Armando Guerriero, the bar’s owner. “In the 40 years that I’ve worked here, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Read more: A Volcanic Explosion in Italy Injured 10 People

Solfatara, a popular tourist attraction, is one of 40 ancient volcanoes in the Campi Flegrei area near Naples. It last erupted in 1198.