A worker trapped under debris was rescued after part of Romeโs medieval Torre dei Conti collapsed during renovation work. The accident injured several workers and led to a diplomatic exchange between Italy and Russia.
Rescuers in Rome saved a worker who was trapped when part of the Torre dei Conti, a 13th-century tower under renovation, collapsed on Monday. The man was injured and taken to a hospital. Romeโs mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, said they hope he will recover soon. Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini said the man was pulled from the rubble after a long and difficult rescue mission. The worker, a Romanian national, remained conscious throughout the ordeal, according to the Romanian foreign ministry.
How the collapse happenedย
The tower partially collapsed shortly before noon, sending rubble into the street and covering the area in thick white dust. Three other workers were safely evacuated, one of them in serious condition, the fire department said. A second partial collapse occurred about an hour and a half later, creating more clouds of dust. Firefighters had already set up protective barriers around the trapped man, which helped shield him from further harm.
One worker, 67-year-old Ottaviano, said he escaped from a balcony just in time. โIt was not safe. I just want to go home,โ he said, still covered in white dust.
About the Torre dei Conti
The Torre dei Conti, located near the Colosseum and the Imperial Forum, is one of Romeโs famous medieval towers. Renovation work on the tower began in June 2025 with funding from the European Union. The project included asbestos removal and was nearly complete.
According to Romeโs Directorate of Cultural Heritage, the collapses affected a buttress, the base, and later part of the stairwell and roof. Safety checks had earlier confirmed the site was suitable for restoration work. Russiaโs foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova linked the accident to Italyโs support for Ukraine, saying on Telegram, โAs long as the Italian government keeps wasting taxpayersโ money, all of Italy will collapse, from the economy to its towers.โ
Italyโs foreign minister Antonio Tajani called her comments โshameful and unacceptable.โ The Italian government later summoned Russiaโs ambassador over the remarks.