Attack on a Tg3 crew in Lebanon: the driver dies of a heart attack. The dramatic story of Lucia Goracci.

In Lebanon, a Tg3 crew was the victim of an attack while they were near Sidon to document the situation on the ground. The incident, which occurred in the morning, had tragic consequences with the death of the local driver, Ahmad, struck down by a heart attack during the violent attack.

Rai correspondent Lucia Goracci, together with operator Marco Nicois, reported the dramatic episode liveThe crew was reportedly carrying out their work in a regular manner and with all necessary permits, coordinating with a local fixer who had reported their presence to Hezbollah in the area.

The dynamics of the aggression

The day of filming seemed to be going smoothly. At 9 a.m., the crew was in the town of Jiyeh, a town south of Beirut, in a seemingly calm environment. Locals spoke to journalists without showing any signs of hostility. However, the calm was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of an armed man, who tried to attack cameraman Marco Nicois and try to snatch his camera.

Faced with the growing threat, Goracci and Nicois immediately got back into the car to try to get away quickly. However, a group of other armed men intervened, starting to push the journalists and the car. One of them threw a large stone at the crew, while others held him back or incited violence. At that point, the team managed to leave the area, but it seemed that the attackers were chasing them, fueling a climate of terror and tension.

Driver Ahmad's heart attack

After escaping the dangerous situation, the driver Ahmad stopped the car at a gas station, far from the town of Ghazieh. Despite the attempt to leave the conflict area, one of the attackers followed them and reached the car. The man, with increasing violence, snatched the car keys from Ahmad's hands and tried again to destroy the crew's equipment by climbing into the car's windows.

In shock and fear, Ahmad got out of the vehicle in an attempt to calm the attacker. However, at that moment, he collapsed to the ground, suffering from a sudden heart attack. “We immediately called for help,” Goracci said, “and the ambulance arrived quickly. We followed the emergency vehicle, but when we arrived at the hospital they told us that Ahmad had not made it, despite long and desperate attempts to revive him.”

This tragic incident highlights once again the difficulties and dangers journalists face when working in high-tension environments like Lebanon. Despite the crew having all the necessary permits from local authorities and following the correct procedures, including the fixer reporting their presence to Hezbollah, the attack still occurred, taking the journalists by surprise.

The circumstances behind the attack remain unclear, but it appears that the climate of suspicion and tension that characterizes some areas of Lebanon, especially those under the control of armed groups, played a decisive role. The Sidon area, in particular, is known for the presence of militant groups and local tensions that make the work of journalists particularly risky.

The danger for journalists in crisis areas

The attack suffered by the Tg3 crew is a tragic example of the difficulties faced by journalists in conflict zones. In contexts where press freedom is limited and the presence of foreign journalists is often viewed with suspicion, the risk of serious incidents is always present. Journalists who operate in these conditions are often exposed not only to the dangers deriving from hostilities between armed groups, but also to direct threats to their personal safety.

The episode brings to the forefront the importance of ensuring the protection and safety of media workers, who do crucial work in reporting on crises to the world. The tragic fate of Ahmad, who fell ill during the attack, is a reminder of the high price sometimes paid by those on the front lines documenting the facts.

Lucia Goracci's story conveys the full drama of what happened. A normal work day turned into a tragedy due to a sudden and violent attack. The courage and promptness of the Tg3 crew allowed them to escape an escalation of violence, but the cost of this escape was very high: the loss of the life of the driver Ahmad, a man who was simply doing his job.

This event also raises questions about the conditions in which journalists operate in some parts of the world, where the simple act of reporting the truth can become extremely dangerous. It is essential that the international community continues to defend the right to information and the safety of those who risk their lives to tell stories that would otherwise remain in the shadows.