Susanna Riva On November 2, 2026, the nation was once again shaken by tragedy: four members of the Italian Armed Forces died last Thursday in a Chinook helicopter crash during Operation EUFOR Althea in Bosnia. Their remains, wrapped in the Italian flag, arrived this morning at Ciampino Airport aboard an Italian Air Force C-130, marking the beginning of a day of commemoration and judicial investigation.
The return of the bodies and the guard of honor
The aircraft landed on the 31st Wing 's soil at 12:13 and unloaded the coffins of Sergeants Simone Ruggia and Claudio Marchesi , Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo , and Sergeant Laura Procacci . A Falcon transported the family members to Ciampino Airport, where they were greeted by a 100 -strong joint honor team , ready to pay tribute to the sacrifice of the fallen.
State Funerals: The Institutional Protagonists
President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella , Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni , Defense Minister Guido Crosetto , and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani went to the reception site to caress the coffins one by one, in a gesture full of emotion. The presidents of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, Ignazio La Russa and Lorenzo Fontana , also attended the ceremony, underscoring the unanimity of the national grief.
At 13:17 PM, the coffins were transferred from the airport to Celio , where the chapel of rest was set up. The bodies of Ruggia, Marchesi, and Zecchillo were placed in Celio, while Procacci's body was sent to the Tor Vergata Polyclinic for an autopsy ordered by the Rome Prosecutor's Office . The following day, at 10:00 AM, the solemn funeral will take place in the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli , Piazza Esedra.
Investigations, autopsies and testimonies
Prosecutor Francesco Saverio Musolino of the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered an autopsy on Laura Procacci; the examination will be performed at the Tor Vergata Polyclinic. External examinations in Bosnia have already been performed on the other three soldiers, which revealed death by violent crushing . The public prosecutor has opened investigations for negligent disaster , manslaughter , and assault , with charges against unknown persons.
Authorities have already interviewed the three surviving pilots and other members of the medical crew. Lieutenant Colonel Flavio Favari , the sole survivor of the medical team, was in Tuzla where he stated: " It's a miracle I'm still alive . I only remember that it was a matter of a second, a very violent impact." Eleven other lesser-ranking injured passengers traveled on the C-130 to Italy for treatment.
The investigation is also continuing with the Military Prosecutor's Office , which is assessing liability for negligent loss of the aircraft. A technical expert will be requested to clarify the causes of the failure, while survivors' testimonies may be supplemented as soon as conditions permit.