Worker dies after partial collapse of medieval tower in central Rome
A construction worker has died after being trapped beneath rubble following the partial collapse of a medieval tower in the centre of Rome. The victim, 66-year-old Romanian national Octav Stroici, was rescued late Monday night after nearly twelve hours but suffered cardiac arrest in the ambulance and could not be revived, hospital officials confirmed.
Stroici was working on conservation efforts at the Torre dei Conti — a 13th-century tower near the Roman Forum and just steps from the Colosseum — when part of the structure collapsed at around 11:20 a.m. local time. Three other workers were pulled from the rubble, including another Romanian national. One firefighter was hospitalized with an eye injury, while others escaped unharmed, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
Rescue teams worked through the day using drones and heavy equipment to reach Stroici, who remained conscious and speaking to emergency workers during the operation. His wife was present at the site. The effort was interrupted when a second section of the tower crumbled roughly 90 minutes after the initial collapse, sending bricks crashing down and raising concerns of further structural failure.
Officials described the rescue as extremely complex due to the unstable condition of the tower. “We had to mitigate enormous risks,” Rome prefect Lamberto Giannini said, noting that firefighters shielded the trapped worker when the second partial collapse occurred.
The tower, built by Pope Innocent III in the early 1200s as a residence for his brother, has long been closed and abandoned. It stands along Via dei Fori Imperiali, one of Rome’s busiest tourist routes, though the collapse occurred in a section separated from the main Forum visitor area. Streets around the site have been cordoned off as a precaution.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had earlier expressed hopes for a positive outcome before news of Stroici’s death was confirmed. Rome’s mayor and Italy’s culture minister visited the site, and prosecutors have opened an investigation into the incident.
Another worker who escaped unharmed told local media the building was “not safe” and said he “just wants to go home.”
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