ROME: A worker trapped under the rubble of a partially collapsed medieval tower in central Rome died shortly after being pulled out late Monday, despite a prolonged and delicate rescue effort by firefighters.
The man, identified as Octay Stroici, was freed after hours of painstaking work at the 13th-century Torre dei Conti, but succumbed to his injuries soon after, prompting condolences from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and an investigation into possible negligence.
“On behalf of myself and the government, I express deep sorrow and condolences for the tragic loss of Octay Stroici, the worker who was killed in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in Rome,” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a statement released shortly after midnight. “We stand with his family and colleagues in this moment of unimaginable pain.”
Local television footage showed three rescuers placing the injured man onto a telescopic aerial ladder, lowering him to the ground, and then rushing him on a stretcher toward an ambulance. His condition was not immediately clear at the scene, though Rome’s fire brigade chief, Adriano De Acutis, told state broadcaster RAI that the worker had been conscious during the rescue.
“At that moment his condition appeared serious, so doctors were preparing to evaluate him immediately, and he was rushed straight to the hospital,” Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini told reporters at the scene.
According to AP, the rescue operation had been extremely challenging. Firefighters initially tried to reach the trapped worker through a first-floor window, but were forced to retreat when fresh debris rained down as the structure continued to weaken. A second attempt using two ladders also had to be abandoned, prompting crews to deploy a drone to assess the situation from above.
As evening approached, firefighters lifted by a crane and inserted large suction tubes through a second-floor window to remove rubble, working steadily late into the night.
“The operation took so long because each time one part of his body was freed, new rubble would fall and bury him again,” Giannini explained.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told reporters earlier that the trapped worker had been conscious, speaking to rescuers, and using an oxygen mask. He emphasized that crews were proceeding with extreme caution in what he described as “a very delicate extraction operation,” intended to prevent further collapses.
According to firefighter spokesperson Luca Cari, three workers were rescued unharmed after the initial midday collapse. Another worker, aged 64, was hospitalized in critical condition; state broadcaster RAI reported he was awake and had suffered a broken nose.
No firefighters were injured during the operation
The Torre dei Conti, a 13th-century tower built by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his family, has a long history of structural damage. It was hit by a major earthquake in 1349 and experienced additional collapses in the 17th century.
Hundreds of tourists gathered nearby as firefighters used a mobile ladder to position a stretcher at an upper level of the tower during the first rescue attempt. Suddenly, another portion of the structure gave way, sending up a cloud of dust and forcing rescuers to withdraw rapidly.
Heritage officials said the first collapse affected the central buttress on the southern side and brought down the sloping base beneath it. A subsequent collapse damaged part of the stairwell and roof.
Queen Paglinawan, 27, who was serving a customer at a gelato shop next door, described the moment the tower began to fail.
“I heard something falling, and then I saw the tower collapse diagonally,” she told The Associated Press, as additional debris continued to fall.
Closed since 2007, the tower is undergoing a €6.9 million restoration project involving conservation work, new electrical and water systems, and a museum installation dedicated to the later periods of the Roman Imperial Forum. Officials said that before work began in June, structural surveys and load tests confirmed the stability needed to proceed, including asbestos removal. The current phase of work—costing €400,000—was nearly complete.
Italian prosecutors arrived during the rescue to open an investigation into possible charges of negligent disaster and negligent injury, Italian media reported. Such early-stage investigations are routine in Italy, even before potential suspects are identified.
Nearby, German student Viktoria Braeu, 18, had just finished a tour of the Colosseum and walked past as firefighters made their initial rescue attempt.
“We thought it wouldn’t be long before something else came down—and then it suddenly did,” she said.
Earlier Monday, Prime Minister Meloni had expressed hope for a successful rescue.
“My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person fighting for his life under the rubble and to his family. I sincerely hoped this tragedy would end positively,” Meloni said. “I thank all the law enforcement officers, firefighters and rescue workers who are intervening with courage, professionalism and dedication in this extremely difficult situation.”
