Breaking on Fox. Building Collapse in Milan Italy

9/18/06

[tomnbeverly]

Heard from Shep Smith just now. Witnesses smelled gas at least 2 dead.

[oceanview]

correct.

[conservative in nyc]

Thanks. Those old European buildings were built pretty well. Some have been standing for centuries. They don't make them like they used to.

[MadeInAmerica]

"Who writes this crap? The EXPLOSION has PROVOKED damages? "

Calm down. It is a computer algorithm-based translator, not a person.

---

Thanks, that was answered earlier in the thread. BTW, Kirwood Missouri?

[Bon mots]

Two dead, dozens injured...

MILANO - A four story apartment building collapsed Monday evening in the west side of Milan following an explosion, probably resulting from a gas leak. The current toll appears to be two dead and scores of injured. Among the injured persons found they are missing two children.

According to the first reconstruction of events, one of the two fatalities is an Albanian, found in a tabacco shop on the ground floor of the building. The other victim is a 69 year old man. Many types of rescue teams are on the scene of the explosion inculding many ambulances. Police sources have confirmed, "There are victims". The residential building, on 7 Lomellina street, is reduced to rubble. The wall that faced the road is there no more.

- via Bon Mots translation from Corriere della Sera

[conservative in nyc]

Is there a lost child (possibly two)? The Bablefish translation of Corriere's most recent update (at the same link) says:

But between the persons who had to find themselves in the mansion a child lacks to the appeal (other sources speaks about two): he could be a matter itself of figlioletto of the owner of the bar the tobaccos to pian the land.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Ya' never know nowdays,,with the situation,,,

[tfecw]

Sorry to bring this one off topic, but you can impress your friends and family with some useless knowledge on American vs European floor counting styles

[AnAmericanMother]

The old massive stone lintel construction is VERY redundant and thus strong and durable. Problem is that its own weight prevents it being used in TALL buildings.

The problem of weight versus structural integrity has been with us for a long time. A famous example of cutting it too fine is the Ronan Point Disaster. The prefab floors and walls were not properly tied together, and a natural gas explosion on an upper floor caused a progressive "domino" collapse of all the underlying floors on that corner. Amazingly, only four people died.

BTW, it was first thought to be IRA terrorism, but turned out just to be a overtorqued/cracked nut on a gas stove connection.

[cgk]

Prayers sent to the victims and missing. I visited Milan once: I have a wonderful picture of a bride and groom kissing beneath Il Duomo. This isn't MY picture, but this is the place:

While the whole city slept (in the middle of the day) a very friendly establishment took it upon themselves to feed little old lonely me who was starving but couldn't find anywhere open to eat (or any family members who lived there even at home!)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Would you happen to know the explosive power of natural gas
compared to dynamite ??

[Red Badger]

I'll try and remember that next time in Europe.......I always wondered why my room was 222 and the desk clerk told me it was on the first floor...........

[AnAmericanMother]

Interesting question. I don't really know, never having had to investigate a dynamited house or building . . . that almost instantly becomes a criminal investigation instead of an insurance matter.

But the explosive power of natural gas is pretty darned impressive. I saw a house once that was well set back from the road -- the explosion of a NG water heater in a closet in the middle of the house blew ALL the doors and window frames quite a distance - the front door wound up in the middle of the road.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Years ago,a friend who was a fire capt. mentioned a
per cubic foot formula of natural gas versus commercial dynamite per stick,,been too long ago,,lol,,

[Dr. Eckleburg]

There are a lot of stories on the internet about the building's history. This is just a first-up on google...

http://cryptome.org/fdr-astor.htm

[BadAndy]

"I've been the involved in several accidental gas leaks, but they've never brought down a building."

""You're right. Karl Rove planted explosive charges throughout the building, then Bush MIHOP.

(I don't need a /sarc tag, do I?)""

No, but I do. My post was intended as adolescent bathroom type humor. :-)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS,,,

[AnAmericanMother]

I'd be suspicious of that article - it doesn't look quite right and I caught some errors right off the bat that no historian should have made. For example, "of course Vincent Astor represented the American branch of that famous English family." The Astor family was never English - they were German immigrants to the U.S. in the late 18th century whose progenitor, John Jacob, made a fortune in the fur trade. William Waldorf moved to England in a fit of pique after a quarrel with his aunt. His son Waldorf was pro-Nazi according to some. All his kids were born in the U.S. That branch of the family did snag a title for patriotic work in WWI, but they are considered a branch of the American family, not the other way around.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Reading,,,This Is Bizarre,,I Had No Idea !

[Verginius Rufus]

I read something recently by William F. Buckley, Jr., about a Mrs. Astor who's now 104 years old--according to some news items I turned up on Google, this is Brooke Astor. Her grandson is claiming that his father (her son) is guilty of "elder abuse" in his treatment of her. Her fortune is $45 million. She is known for her philanthropies.

[AnAmericanMother]

That is correct. I don't know the ins and outs of the family feud, but she ought to be supported in the manner to which she's accustomed. After all, it IS her money.