Giacomo Chiapparini (left) at his dairy farm and cheese production facility with his son, Tiziano, and grandchildren Michael and Gabriel. Photograph: Grana Padano

In the ageing chamber of his plant in Bergamo, northern Italy, a cheesemaker from Italy passed away on Sunday after being trampled by thousands of rounds of Grana Padano cheese, according to local officials.

According to the Bergamo Carabinieri, 74-year-old Giacomo Chiapparini had entered the ageing room to inspect the autonomous robot that was being used to clean the cheese rounds while they were being aged in the company’s warehouse.

There were roughly ten corridors with floor to ceiling shelves and 1,600 rounds each at the time of his death.

It’s unknown what caused the initial collapse, which triggered what the investigators refer to as a “domino effect” and ultimately killed the cheesemaker.

Authorities from the Carabinieri claim they were sent to the area on Sunday at around 9 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET), along with the fire brigade, two ambulance services, and other local authorities.

The search for Chiapparini’s body behind the cheese rounds lasted more than 11 hours.

The cheese factory where he lives and works allowed his family to identify him, according to a Carabinieri official. On Thursday, there will be his funeral.

According to the company website, Chiapparini’s factory, which was established in the late 1970s, makes about 15,000 wheels of Grana Padano cheese annually using milk from cows kept on the property. Between 12 to 70 months are used to mature the cheese.