Source: BBC
DST News: A worker trapped beneath the debris of a partially collapsed medieval tower in central Rome has died, hospital officials confirmed late Sunday.
The victim, identified as Octay Stroici, was rescued around 11:00 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT), nearly twelve hours after part of the 13th-century Torre dei Conti—located near the Roman Forum and the Colosseum—gave way during restoration work.
Despite being pulled out alive after a prolonged and complex rescue effort, Stroici suffered cardiac arrest en route to the hospital and could not be revived. The Romanian foreign ministry later confirmed that he was a Romanian citizen, along with another worker among the three others rescued. One remains in critical condition.
Firefighters hailed the operation as an extraordinary effort under dangerous conditions. Rescue teams used drones and heavy machinery to reach Stroici while trying to stabilize the fragile structure, which risked further collapse. Stroici, reportedly in his 60s, had remained conscious and spoke with rescuers throughout the ordeal. His wife waited anxiously at the site during the rescue.
The accident occurred during conservation work on the Torre dei Conti, an ancient tower that had long been abandoned despite standing in one of Rome’s busiest tourist areas.
The rescue operation was briefly suspended when a second collapse sent bricks and dust cascading from the 29-meter-high structure, forcing teams to retreat. Rome’s prefect, Lamberto Giannini, described the situation as “extremely complex,” adding that firefighters had erected protective barriers around the trapped man, which may have shielded him from further injury during the secondary collapse.
One firefighter was treated for an eye injury, but no other rescuers were hurt.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed condolences on social media before Stroici’s death was confirmed, writing: “My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person fighting for his life beneath the rubble and to his family.”
Another worker, a 67-year-old named Ottaviano, told AFP he had escaped the collapse through a balcony. “It was not safe,” he said. “I just want to go home.”
The Rome Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the incident. Rome’s mayor and Italy’s culture minister visited the site, where police have cordoned off nearby streets as a precaution.
Built in the early 1200s by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his brother, the Torre dei Conti is one of the few surviving medieval towers in Rome—now a tragic scene of loss amid the city’s ancient landmarks.
