Worker dies after medieval tower collapses in Rome Nick SquiresNovember 4, 2025 at 9:33 AM 7 Credit: Linda Whittaker An elderly construction worker has died after a medieval stone tower in the heart of Rome partially collapsed on Monday. The 30metre tower, which has stood for 800 years and is yards from the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, was undergoing restoration and asbestos removal when the incident happened. The building is known as the Torre dei Conti or Tower of the Counts.
- - Worker dies after medieval tower collapses in Rome
Nick SquiresNovember 4, 2025 at 9:33 AM
7
Credit: Linda Whittaker
An elderly construction worker has died after a medieval stone tower in the heart of Rome partially collapsed on Monday.
The 30-metre tower, which has stood for 800 years and is yards from the Roman Forum and the Colosseum, was undergoing restoration and asbestos removal when the incident happened.
The building is known as the Torre dei Conti or Tower of the Counts.
The worker was identified by Italian media as Octay Stroici, a 66-year-old Romanian who was trapped under rubble for more than 11 hours.
The first collapse occurred at 11.30am, with soldiers, police and firefighters rushing to the scene to try to free the four construction workers who had been repairing the landmark.
Three were rescued, one of them was unhurt but the other two were injured and required hospital treatment.
Firefighters were engulfed in debris as they tried to rescue a construction worker - Domenico Stinellis/AP
Firefighters were attempting to rescue Mr Stroici, clambering up extended ladders towards the cracked facade of the tower, when a second collapse happened. A large quantity of masonry suddenly crashed to the ground, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
La Stampa, the Italian newspaper, reported that Mr Stroici had been found on the first floor of the tower immediately after the first collapse, and that he had been conscious and communicating with rescue workers. Several hours after the second collapse, the workers were again able to speak with him.
The firefighters were able to provide him with an oxygen mask as they dug with their bare hands and vacuumed debris in an effort to reach him.
The rescue team extracted Mr Stroici at 10:30pm local time with assistance from specialised rescue units, and immediately rushed him to Policlinico Umberto I hospital, where he died an hour later despite efforts to revive him, La Stampa reported.
The hospital said: "At 11.05pm, Octay Stroici arrived at the Emergency Room in cardiac arrest. He underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which, according to 118 personnel, had already been initiated at the site of the collapse.
"Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, the medical team continued CPR for approximately an hour. However, spontaneous cardiac activity was not restored. Despite these attempts, his death was confirmed at 12.20am."
Dust rises after a second collapse of part of the Torre dei Conti - Getty Images/Tiziana Fabi
Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, offered her condolences to Mr Stroici's family.
Ms Meloni said: "I express deep sorrow and condolences, on behalf of myself and the government, for the tragic loss of Octay Stroici, the worker who was killed in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in Rome.
"​We are close to his family and colleagues at this time of unspeakable suffering."
'We never saw him again'
The Telegraph was at the base of the tower when the second collapse occurred at 1.00pm local time, causing a crowd to flee as rubble flew down. Firefighters who had entered the tower immediately withdrew amid fears that the whole building could crumble.
Rescuers were attempting to reach Mr Stroici, who was conscious but in a serious condition after being hit by falling debris.
Lamberto Giannini, the chief of police in the capital, said: "There is a person who is still trapped under the rubble, but there are indications that he is still alive.
"Every effort is being made to save him – that is clearly the priority – but it is a delicate operation. There is a very high risk of further collapses."
A drone was seen entering the tower through a window to inspect the damage.
Emergency workers at the scene after the incident - Maurizio Brambatti/Shutterstock/EPA
Pinned two metres below the firefighters, Mr Stroici had cried out in pain for hours, protected only by a makeshift shield of a few planks of wood and parts of railings from the collapsed structure.
Only his head and one shoulder were exposed to the firefighters working for more than 11 hours to rescue him as his condition worsened, Corriere della Serra reported.
His wife Marianna and their daughter rushed to the scene and were supported by Roberto Gualtieri, the mayor of Rome, who encouraged Mr Stroici to stay strong.
His frightened colleagues waited anxiously, and recalled how he was swiftly swept under the rubble.
"He's one of ours, stuck down there. Suddenly, everything collapsed and we never saw him again," a fellow construction worker told police.
Alessandro Giuli, the Italian culture minister, was also at the scene, along with Romania's ambassador to Italy.
The tower is located on Via dei Fori Imperiali, a broad avenue that slices through the ancient heart of imperial Rome.
The avenue leads from Piazza Venezia, which is dominated by a huge marble monument, towards the Colosseum, the amphitheatre where gladiators once fought.
The tower was built in the early 13th century on the order of Pope Innocent III as a fortified family home.
The Tower of the Counts has been damaged by natural disasters over the years - Andrew Medichini/AP
The core of the tower was built on the ruins of the Temple of Peace in 858 AD.
Over the centuries, it has been damaged by several earthquakes. It was restored in the 17th century by another pontiff, Pope Alexander VIII.
The building was previously known as Torre Maggiore, or Major Tower, for its size, and had stood at 60 metres before the earthquakes.
It was undergoing restoration work with funds provided by the European Union before the collapse, with scaffolding erected on one side and yellow plastic chutes installed for the disposal of debris.
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Published: November 04, 2025 at 06:54PM on Source: MANUEL MAG
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