A medieval tower in central Rome has partially collapsed twice during renovations, trapping one worker on an upper floor and injuring another.
Falling debris from the initial collapse of the Torre dei Conti, just after 11:30 am (0930 GMT), close to the Roman Forum ruins, hit a 64-year-old worker, the Ansa news agency reported. He was taken to San Giovanni hospital in a critical condition, although Francesco Rocca, Lazio’s regional president, said his injuries were not life-threatening.
With hundreds of tourists and passersby looking on, firefighters rescued three other workers from scaffolding on the 29-meter high tower. During the operation, at about 1 pm, an internal section of the tower collapsed, leaving one worker trapped on an upper floor.
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“We are trying to get him out alive but the situation is complex because of the risk of further collapses,” said the national fire department spokesperson, Luca Cari.
Witnesses reported hearing a loud bang and seeing clouds of dust. One told Corriere della Sera: “I saw a worker fall.”
A drone was used by firefighters to fly through a window and inspect the site.
One worker inside at the time of the first collapse said he escaped from a balcony.
“It was not safe. I just want to go home,” said the man, white dust covering his uniform, who gave his name as Ottaviano and his age as 67.
Queen Paglinawan was working in a nearby gelato shop when she heard two loud noises in quick succession.
“I was working and then I heard something like falling, and then I saw the tower collapse in a diagonal way,” Paglinawan, 27, said as yet another collapse occurred in the background.
Viktoria Braeu, a student from Germany, passed by the scene just as the collapse during the firefighters’ rescue occurred.
“We were just at the Colosseum … and we were just walking to get some food. And then we were like, ‘It’s probably not long until it’s going to go down,’ and then it just started erupting,” said Braeu, 18.
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The area of the Forum and Piazza Venezia, which is continuously packed with tourists and traffic, has been cordoned off. The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, and Italy’s culture minister, Alessandro Giuli, were at the scene.
The Torre dei Conti was built in the 13th century by Richard Conti, brother of Pope Innocent III, as a fortified residence for his family. It was damaged in an earthquake in 1349 and suffered collapses in the 17th century.
The restoration works are being financed by funds from the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund.
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