Japanese tourist dies in fall from Pantheon in Rome | Italy

A Japanese tourist died after falling from the outer wall of the Pantheon in Rome.

The 69-year-old man was sitting on the wall before diving 7 meters into the moat at the ancient landmark on Friday night, Italian news agency Ansa reported.

Rescuers had to force open the gate on Via della Palombella outside the Pantheon to reach the man, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rome police launched an investigation.

According to the information in the reports Italian press The man was visiting Rome with his daughter on Saturday when the girl told police she fell after falling ill, causing her to lose her balance.

The wall is often filled with tourists taking a break from sightseeing.

Built by the Roman emperor Hadrian and famous for the oculus, the hole in its giant dome, the Pantheon is one of the most visited monuments in Italy.

Entrance was free until 2023, when the ticket system was introduced. The 5 euro fee was controversial at the time, but did nothing to deter tourists; More than 4 million people visited the site in 2024. There are often long queues in Piazza della Rotonda outside the monument.

This is not the only tragedy that has befallen tourists in Rome this year. In March, a 55-year-old Spanish woman died after falling from a high wall next to the Spanish Steps.

In April, Scottish tourist Grant Paterson died of severe burns in a gas explosion in a building he was renting in Rome.

Paterson, 54, had come to the city on a solo trip a few days before the incident and visited places such as the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Colosseum.

There has been an explosion in the number of visitors to Rome since the coronavirus pandemic, with a new record set of 22.2 million visitors in 2024.