An elderly woman who lived in Camporosso, at southern Italy, died on Christmas Eve after suffering a sudden illness when opening a water bill for more than 15 thousand euros (around R$80 thousand) sent by mistake.
Caterina Giovinazzo, 88, was rushed to hospital after learning that her bank had debited her account for a total of 15.339 euros, covering the period from August to October.
The incorrect billing, as the region's water operator admitted, was enough to cause the woman's death, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
Iren, the company that manages the service and sent the correspondence incorrectly, highlighted that, in fact, the maximum consumption in the elderly woman's house was a few cubic meters, which would total a bill of 55 euros (R$ 293).
The supplier explained that the error occurred due to a change in billing by an employee from another company hired to carry out the metrics. The invoice value probably referred to a company's consumption.
The mayor of Camporosso, Davide Gibelli, described the elderly woman's death as a “very serious episode”.
Despite Iren's apologies and the return of all the money debited, Giovinazzo's family intends to hire a lawyer to clarify the matter. (Ansa Brasil)
