REGGIO CALABRIA, Italy — Matteo Armelini, 32, a rigger who was working with other crew members in preparation for Laura Pausini’s concert March 5 at the PalaCalafiore here, died at the scene when staging elements fell on him from above at about 2 a.m. Two others helping secure the lighting rig for the central portion of the three-stage set received minor injuries.
News reports described the structure as collapsing on one side and falling forward onto seating. Investigators have sealed off the area and are focusing whether the accident was caused by a failure of the venue’s flooring, the structural elements themselves, or due to an error in the structure’s assembly. The March 5 concert for Pausini, a Grammy and Latin Grammy award winner, has been canceled.
