Worker lose his life after medieval tower collapsed in Rome
(MENAFN) A worker trapped under debris following the partial collapse of a medieval tower in central Rome has died, hospital officials confirmed.
Octay Stroici, 66, was freed around 23:00 local time (22:00 GMT), nearly twelve hours after a section of the Torre dei Conti, near the Roman Forum and close to the Colosseum, gave way.
His heart stopped in the ambulance, and medical staff were unable to revive him.
The Romanian foreign ministry confirmed that Stroici was a Romanian national, as was another worker among three people rescued from the rubble.
Firefighters had initially described Stroici’s rescue as a remarkable effort, using drones and rubble-clearing equipment despite the risk of further collapses. During the operation, Stroici remained conscious and communicated with emergency workers. His wife was present at the scene.
Stroici had been performing conservation work on the tower, which had been abandoned for years and sits just off Rome’s busy Via dei Fori Imperiali, a major tourist area. The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the incident.
The first section of the 29-meter (90-foot) tower collapsed around 11:20 on Monday, and a second collapse about 90 minutes later sent bricks and dust into the air, briefly halting rescue efforts. Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini described the situation as “very complex,” noting that firefighters had “put up some protection” around the worker before the second collapse to shield him.
He added that the rescue took a long time due to the need to “mitigate... the enormous risks faced by the people trying to carry out the rescue.” One firefighter was hospitalized with an eye injury, but the rest of the team was unharmed and continued their work.
Authorities stated that there was no immediate risk of the tower fully collapsing. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, commenting on the ongoing rescue, wrote on X: “My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person currently fighting for his life beneath the rubble, and to his family, for whom I sincerely hope that this tragedy finds a positive outcome.”
Another worker, 67-year-old Ottaviano, escaped uninjured by climbing out onto a balcony during the collapse. He told reporters, “It was not safe. I just want to go home.”
Rome’s mayor and the country’s culture minister visited the site following the accident. The Torre dei Conti, built in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his brother, is separated from the main Roman Forum visitor area by a road. Police have cordoned off surrounding streets as a safety precaution.
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