A loud crash shattered the relative calm of central Rome on Monday when part of the medieval Torre dei Conti — the towering fortress-like structure overlooking the Forum of the Imperial Emperors — gave way amid renovation works. The collapse took place shortly after 11 a.m. while eleven construction workers were engaged in restoration tasks.
Among them was 66-year-old Romanian worker Octay Stroici, who became trapped beneath the debris for almost eleven hours before rescue teams managed to extract him. Despite vigorous efforts and immediate transfer to the Policlinico Umberto I, he succumbed to his injuries.
Other workers were also affected: a 64-year-old man suffered facial injuries and was treated and released from the San Giovanni hospital; three more were rescued from under scaffolding and rubble by fire-brigade units using aerial platforms. The site has been cordoned off, pedestrian and vehicular traffic halted, and a second spill of masonry later endangered the fire-crews on site.
The prosecutor’s office has opened a file for negligent homicide and negligent disaster, and the entire area of the construction site has been seized. Investigators will seek to determine why the structure collapsed during works, and whether safety protocols were respected throughout the operation.