Worker Killed as Torre dei Conti Partly Collapses Amid Restoration

Post by : Raina Nasser

Rome — A section of the 13th-century Torre dei Conti, adjacent to the Roman Forum, partially collapsed on Monday while restoration work was underway, leaving one worker dead and several colleagues injured.

The deceased has been identified as 42-year-old Romanian national Octay Stroici, who was pulled from the rubble after hours trapped beneath debris. Although he remained conscious during the rescue, he died early Tuesday at Umberto I Hospital.

Officials said Stroici formed part of a crew carrying out an EU-funded renovation that began in June 2025, a programme that included asbestos removal and structural reinforcement of the medieval tower.

Rescuers also recovered three other workers from the site; one is in critical condition. Firefighters reported a secondary collapse about 90 minutes later and said rapid intervention helped prevent additional casualties.

“It was not safe. I just want to go home,” one surviving worker, his clothing caked in white dust, told journalists at the scene.

The accident has increased scrutiny of conservation works on Rome’s monuments. The Directorate of Cultural Heritage said preliminary inspections had certified that the necessary safety conditions were in place before work began.

The government responded strongly to comments by Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who suggested a link between the incident and Italy’s support for Ukraine; Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani branded the remarks “shameful, unacceptable.”

Authorities have cordoned off the area near the Colosseum as engineers and investigators assess structural damage and seek to determine the precise cause of the collapse.