The tower, built in 1238 by order of Pope Innocent III, is located near the Colosseum and the Roman Forum in the historic center of Rome. Restoration work was taking place when the tower partially collapsed on Monday afternoon: the first time just before noon and a second collapse followed just over an hour later.
Medieval tower in the center of Rome partly collapsed, several injured
Four construction workers were rescued during the day: three employees trapped on top of the tower were evacuated through a door using car ladders, while a fourth employee was removed from the building.
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A fifth construction worker trapped under the rubble also showed signs of life after the second collapse. “We are doing everything possible because saving this human life is the absolute priority, but it will be a complex operation,” said Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini, a local government representative. The rescue services had to proceed carefully because the tower was very unstable after the two collapses. The tower’s outer buttress, which was built in the 1930s to strengthen the building, is now gone.
After an hours-long rescue operation, the man in his sixties, a man with Romanian identity, was also freed in the evening. Rescuers tried him, according to the newspaper La Stampa to resuscitate him before he was transferred to hospital.
Investigation opened
The tower was abandoned for years before the current renovation project began. Rome’s public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the cause of the disaster. Officers from the judicial police, specialized in industrial accidents, were present at the scene of the collapse on Monday. It is being investigated whether there is negligence. According to Italian media, a total of eleven construction workers were working on the tower, which was restored with funds from the European Fund for Post-Pandemic Reconstruction (Next Generation EU).
Work accidents are common in Italy, and fatal accidents are also a very serious problem. Last year there were 1,090 deaths at work. The construction sector is especially dangerous. Foreigners are also at greater risk of a serious accident at work, and the same applies to people over 65.
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Source: Corriere della Sera, Reuters