Rome medieval tower Torre dei Conti partially collapses, trapped worker dies
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri had earlier told reporters that the worker spoke to rescuers and used an oxygen mask. He added that rescue teams worked extremely carefully in a “very delicate extraction operation” to prevent further collapse.
Fire department spokesman Luca Cari said three workers were rescued unharmed after the first incident at noon. Another worker, a 64-year-old man, was hospitalized in critical condition; RAI reported that he was conscious and his nose was broken.
A cloud of debris from a second collapse is seen around firefighters trying to save a worker after the tower partially collapsed during renovation work.Credit: access point
No firefighters were injured in the subsequent operation.
Torre dei Conti was built by Pope Paul III in the 13th century. It was built by Innocent as the residence of his family. The tower was damaged in the 1349 earthquake and subsequently collapsed in the 17th century.
Hundreds of tourists had gathered to watch firefighters use a mobile ladder to lift the stretcher to the upper level of Torre dei Conti during the first rescue attempt. Suddenly another part of the structure collapsed, creating a cloud of debris and forcing firefighters to quickly descend.
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The initial collapse struck the central buttress on the south side of the structure, causing the sloping base below to fall. Cultural heritage officials said in a statement that the stairwell and the second part of the roof were damaged.
Queen Paglinawan, 27, was tending to a customer at the ice cream parlor next door when the tower first began to crumble.
“I was working and then I heard something falling and then I saw the tower collapse diagonally,” Paglinawan, 27, told The Associated Press.
The tower, closed since 2007, is undergoing a 6.9 million euro ($12 million) restoration that includes conservation work, the installation of electrical, lighting and water systems and the installation of a new museum dedicated to the final stages of the Roman Imperial Forum, officials said.
Structural inspections and load tests were carried out “to verify the stability of the structure and verify the required safety conditions” to continue work, including the removal of asbestos, before moving into the final phase in June, officials said. The current work, costing €400,000, was almost completed.
According to Italian media reports, Italian prosecutors arrived at the scene while the rescue operation was ongoing and were investigating possible charges of negligent disaster and negligent injuries. In Italy, it is common for investigations to begin while an incident is ongoing and before possible suspects have been identified.
German student Viktoria Braeu had just finished a tour of the nearby Colosseum and was walking past the scene during firefighters’ first rescue attempt.
“Then we said, ‘It probably won’t take long for it to fall,’ and then it started exploding,” said Braeu, 18.
