Perugia hotel CO leak kills musician ahead of Music Fest concert, leaves colleague critical; manslaughter investigation opened
The man, aged 54 or 55, was found dead in his room before a concert with the Orchestra of the Hundred Cities on Friday evening; a female colleague remains in critical condition in a hyperbaric chamber in Ravenna.
Discovery and fatalities
On the evening of Friday, 31 July 2026, a musician was found dead inside a room at the Hotel Fortuna, a hotel on Via Bonazzi in Perugia's historic centre. A female colleague who was sharing the room lay unconscious; she is now in critical condition receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy at a hospital in Ravenna. The alarm was raised shortly after 21:30, when the two artists, both members of a classical orchestra of around 40 players, failed to appear for a scheduled concert at the Sala dei Notari as part of the city's Music Fest. Fellow musicians tried repeatedly to contact them by mobile phone, then walked back to the hotel and asked reception staff to check the room. Receiving no response to knocks, the staff called the fire brigade. Firefighters forced open the door and found the man already dead and the woman gravely ill.
Italian media have reported the deceased's identity in conflicting terms: Il Messaggero names him as Davide La Losa, a 54-year-old double bassist of Sicilian origin, while Open and AGI identify a 55-year-old musician named Paolo Coluzzi, born in Sicily and resident in Rome. The wounded colleague is identified as cellist Tao Huang. Initial accounts described the pair as a couple, but later reports clarified they were friends sharing accommodation.
Orchestra performance and relocation
Approximately 40 musicians of the Orchestra of the Hundred Cities were staying in the same hotel. The orchestra proceeded with its concert at the Sala dei Notari despite the absence, and no other member reported feeling unwell. Once firefighters confirmed carbon monoxide contamination, all guests were evacuated from the premises and moved to different hotels. The building was secured and its gas supply shut off as a precaution. Judicial authorities sequestered the entire hotel operation, sealing the facility.
Contamination readings and official response
Firefighters from Perugia's command took instrumental readings that detected carbon monoxide across multiple floors of the building, with the highest levels concentrated in the victims' room. The discovery prompted an immediate full evacuation, a precautionary shutdown of all gas-fired heating installations, and the formal seizure of the premises. Prosecutor Anna Maria Greco attended the scene for an inspection, and medical examiner Anna Maria Verdelli conducted a preliminary external examination of the body, which was then transferred to the morgue for an autopsy. Carabinieri, the scientific section, and local police were also deployed; the latter managed traffic in the narrow streets of the historic centre.
- Orchestra of the Hundred Cities due to perform at Sala dei Notari during Perugia's Music Fest.
- Shortly after 21:30, fellow musicians return to hotel after the pair fail to appear; staff calls firefighters.
- Firefighters break down the door, find man dead and woman unconscious.
- Carbon monoxide found on multiple floors; all guests evacuated, gas cut off, hotel sequestered.
- Prosecutor opens manslaughter file; autopsy ordered, firefighters to test building's systems.
Hunt for the source
The Perugia public prosecutor's office has opened a file for manslaughter. The leading hypothesis, still unconfirmed by official sources, is that carbon monoxide generated in a boiler room close to the victims' room infiltrated the air-conditioning system, which was running at full capacity during a spell of intense heat. Investigators are concentrating on the building's hot water system and air-conditioning circuit. To trace the exact origin and pathway of the gas, firefighters will need to reactivate the various installations and test for leaks. The hotel remains under sequester, with the investigation ongoing.
