Italian Man Crushed to Death by Thousands of Cheese Wheels
CNN reported that an Italian man lost his life after being crushed by thousands of Grana Padano cheese wheels. It’s a hard cheese comparable to Parmigiano Reggiano. The tragic incident occurred on a Sunday when Giacomo Chiapparini, a 75-year-old local cheesemaker was in his warehouse near the city of Bergamo tending to 15,000 cheese wheels that were aging. The mishap occurred as a shelving unit containing the cheese collapsed, triggering a chain reaction that toppled additional shelves along with a significant number of cheese wheels.
Typically, these warehouses are filled to capacity with cheese wheels, which mature over several months before reaching optimal quality. Reports from Il Giorno indicate that approximately 25,000 cheese wheels ended up falling and burying Chiapparini. Despite the efforts of emergency services throughout the night, the chances of locating him alive diminished as time passed, and his body was ultimately discovered on Monday.
The investigation continues
According to reports, the local authorities have initiated an investigation into the accident, aiming to uncover the factors that led to the shelf’s collapse and Chiapparini’s death. Meanwhile, neighboring cheese factories in Italy have united in a bid to salvage the fallen cheese wheels. The Italian publication Il Giorno highlighted on Monday the ongoing “race against time” to secure storage space for the cheese to prevent wastage.
They said that the financial impact of the incident is substantial, with estimated damages totaling €7 million which is around 7,671,895.00 U.S. dollars. The estimate also includes the destruction of the facility. Notably, in 2012, when the Emilia Romagna region endured a devastating earthquake, Chiapparini demonstrated his generosity by offering his facilities to colleagues who had lost their own cheese wheels due to the catastrophic natural disaster.
Founded in the late 1970s, Chiapparini’s factory produces approximately 15,000 wheels of Grana Padano cheese annually. The cheese is crafted using milk from cows raised on the factory premises. According to the company website, the aging process for this cheese ranges from 12 to 70 months.
Celebrity Deaths 2023: Musicians, Entertainers & Cultural Figures We Lost
We’ve had to say goodbye to some big names this year in the worlds of entertainment, sports, politics and beyond. To be frank, it was an absolutely brutal year.
So many giants in music died in 2023. Guitar god Jeff Beck died suddenly in January at age 78 after contracting bacterial meningitis. In February, legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach died at age 94. Singer, actor and civil rights icon Harry Belafonte died in April at age 96 from congestive heart failure. In May, the world lost Tina Turner – the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll – at age 83. Iconic pop singer Tony Bennett died in July at age 96.
The worlds of television and film were not immune to significant loss in 2023. Sitcom mastermind Norman Lear died in December at age 101. Three’s Company star Suzanne Somers died in October at age 76 from an aggressive form of breast cancer. Matthew Perry also died in October. The Friends star was only 54. Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price is Right, died in August at age 99. Paul Reubens, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman, died in July at age 70 following a private battle with cancer.
The sports world was rocked by the deaths of three major wrestling figures. In June, The Iron Sheik (Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri) died at age 81. Then, in August, there were two back-to-back deaths. First, WWE Hall of Famer Terry Funk died at age 79. Funk’s hardcore style has been influential to generations of wrestlers that followed. Then, Bray Wyatt (Windham Rotunda) suddenly died at age 36. The young wrestler died after contracting COVID, which exacerbated a heart issue and led to a heart attack.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the musicians, celebrities and other cultural figures we’ve lost in 2023.
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
