Worker dies in eight-meter fall from rural building attic near Milan

Fatal fall in Casterno

A 48-year-old worker, Antonio Sperandio, died on the morning of 30 September 2026 after falling from a rural building in Casterno, a hamlet located within the municipality of Robecco sul Naviglio in the Metropolitan City of Milan. The incident took place at approximately 10:30 at number 4 Piazza Garibaldi, an area situated within the Ticino Park. Sperandio, who was originally from the city of Vercelli in Piedmont, had been working on clearing out a loft space inside the rural structure. During the clearing operations, he fell from a height of approximately eight meters to the ground below. A second worker was assisting Sperandio with the task inside the attic, witnessed the sudden fall, and managed to escape the incident without physical injuries.

Emergency response and site inspection

Immediately after the fall, the surviving coworker contacted regional emergency services to report the incident and call for help. The Regional Emergency Urgency Agency of Lombardy dispatched medical personnel under code red, mobilizing a rescue helicopter alongside a specialized nursing vehicle and a standard ambulance to the address on Piazza Garibaldi. Medical teams attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene, but Sperandio died from his injuries before he could be transported to a hospital. Fire rescue units based in Legnano and Abbiategrasso deployed to the rural property to secure the perimeter and make the attic structure safe for inspectors.

Official investigation into site safety

Officers from the local police force and the Carabinieri arrived shortly afterward to take control of the location and begin an investigation into the precise dynamics of the fatal fall. Technical investigators conducted on-site surveys of the rural building to evaluate the physical state of the attic and the specific clearing tasks underway at 10:30. Law enforcement personnel scheduled formal interviews with the uninjured colleague, whose testimony remains central to establishing how the fall began. The inquiry is focused on determining whether standard workplace safety regulations, equipment requirements, and fall-prevention measures were properly observed during the operation.

INAIL accident data and sector trends

The fatal fall in Robecco sul Naviglio occurred alongside broader statistical trends for workplace accidents recorded across Italy in 2026. Official figures from the National Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL), covering data through July 2026, show that 422 fatal workplace accident claims occurred during the first seven months of the year. This total represents a decrease of 10 cases compared to the 432 fatal incidents reported during the identical period in 2025, with both figures tracking active workers while excluding student accident claims.

Despite the decrease in overall workplace deaths, figures for the construction industry increased over the same comparison window. INAIL recorded 76 fatal accident claims in the construction sector during the first seven months of 2026, up from 67 fatalities reported between January and July 2025. The incident in the Milanese countryside also followed shortly after another fatal industrial event in Ancona, where a worker died after suffering severe burn injuries, prompting regional trade unions to call a strike.