ROME (AFP) — Italy on Friday declared a "state of emergency" for the vast archaeological site of Pompeii, saying the volcano-stricken Roman city and major tourist attraction has fallen into serious disrepair.
The government said in a statement it was appointing a special official to improve the ancient site in southern Italy, once a bustling city that was destroyed by a massive eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.
"It was no longer possible to tolerate a situation... of neglect and disrepair," it said, quoting the minister for Italy's cultural assets, Sandro Bondi, who called it "one of the most important heritage sites in the world."
A separate statement by the local archaeological authority said the ancient monuments themselves were not in disrepair, but cited problems such as a lack of guards and drains at the site.
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