Girl, 14, dies on first night of family holiday in Rome

A teenage girl with a peanut allergy has tragically died after eating pizza on the first night of a family holiday in Rome. The 14-year-old, named Skyler by Italian media, was in Italy with her parents when the tragedy happened.

The family are said to have travelled to the country's capital for a week-long stay, during which they planned to visit museums and archaeological sites. The group was staying in the Gianicolense neighbourhood of the city.

Last Thursday evening, October 24, Skyler, her parents and her two siblings decided to have pizza as their first dinner in Rome. However, just 15 minutes after the family had dinner at the "I love pizza kebab" restaurant, which is located close to their B&B, the teen began feeling ill.

Her symptoms including her throat tightening, difficulty breathing, her heart pounding, chills and tremors throughout her body. Her worried parents tried to calm Skyler down and asked staff at their B&B for help, reports say. Staff called the emergency services, who rushed to the hotel, but when paramedics arrived they found Skyler unconscious.

They tried to resuscitate and bring her to nearby San Camillo hospital by ambulance, but sadly Skyler died of anaphylactic shock even before reaching the medical facility, Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported. According to the publication, the British family were planning to visit the Vatican Museums the following day before heading to the Colosseum and the Imperial Fora, the Mirror reports.

Investigators from the Monteverde police station launched an investigation after speaking to the girl's parents, who explained she was allergic to peanuts. Skyler's family also said that in the past she experienced serious allergic reactions, so she would avoid anything that might include peanuts, carefully reading food labels.

The family said they would also enquire about allergens when eating in restaurants. However, it is unclear if the restaurant was made aware of the teen's allergies before the tragedy.

According to Corriere della Sera, investigators have spoken to the restaurant's owners. ASL Roma 3, which looks after health services in that district of the city, has begun hygienic and health checks, also to verify the presence of allergen lists in the pizza restaurant.

Investigators said they are looking into whether the allergen was present in the pre-packaged dessert Skyler had. The family has reportedly returned to England and Skyler's body will be repatriated once the medical-legal investigations, ordered by the Prosecutor's Office, are completed. A FCDO Spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British child who has died in Italy and are in contact with local authorities."