Worker trapped under collapsed medieval tower in Rome dies

Worker trapped under collapsed medieval tower in Rome dies
Dust rises as part of Rome’s historic Torre dei Conti collapses near the Colosseum on Nov 3, 2025.
Reuters

A Romanian worker trapped for hours under the rubble of a partially collapsed medieval tower near the Colosseum in central Rome has died, Italian and Romanian authorities said on Tuesday.

Parts of the 29-metre (95 ft) Torre dei Conti crashed to the ground at around 1030 GMT on Monday and a second collapse followed 90 minutes later, videos posted on social media and Reuters video showed. 

Clouds of dust came billowing out of the windows to the sound of collapsing masonry.

A second incident took place while firefighters were working on the structure with aerial ladders, trying to extract the trapped man.

The Rome Prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for manslaughter, negligent disaster, and serious injury, a judicial source said.

The victim was eventually pulled out of the tower late on Monday, after about 11 hours, but was in a state of cardiac arrest when he arrived at the hospital. 

"Despite the sustained efforts of the medical teams in Rome, Octav Stroici, who had been trapped under the rubble of a historic building undergoing restoration works, has sadly passed away," the Romanian Foreign Ministry said on X. Italian media said he was aged 66.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed her condolences.

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