tourist plunges 22ft to his death in front of daughter at rome landmark

A police cordon at the Pantheon in Rome,following the death of a tourist at the famous attraction (Picture: EPA)

A Japanese tourist plunged 22ft to his death while touring the Pantheon in Rome’s with his daughter.

Hibino Morimasa had sat down on the wall which protects the moat that surrounds the distinctive rotunda in the heart of the Italian capital before the tragedy.

His daughter told police that the 69-year-old had been struck by a sudden illness,which caused him to lose his balance and fatally drop.

The incident happened at around 9.50pm local time on Friday,metres from one of Italy’s most visited monuments.

Police officers said the victim had fallen face down into the gap,crashing into the Pantheon’s steps.

A passing priest noticed Mr Morimasa lying on the ground and alerted a Carabinieri officer,who called the emergency services.

Emergency services rushed to the scene,and – alongside firefighters – were forced to barge open a gate outside the landmark to reach the tourist.

Despite their best efforts,he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Pantheon is one of Italy’s most visited attractions and was first consecrated in AD 609 (Picture: NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

Tourists sitting on the wall around the church’s moat,as a sign warns of the drop below (Picture: LaPresse/Shutterstock)

According to La Repubblica,police obtained footage from the monument’s CCTV cameras as well as from a nearby makeup and cosmetics store.

An investigation has been launched into the tragic incident.

The historic church was first consecrated in AD 609 and remains in use as a Catholic place of worship.

One of Italy’s most visited attractions,it is a property of the state and managed jointly by the Italian government and the Holy See,which governs the Vatican City.