Nov. 3 (UPI) — The Torre dei Conti, a medieval tower in Rome near the Colosseum, partially collapsed Monday during restoration work.
A 64-year-old man is in critical condition after being hit by falling debris and suffering head injuries. Two others suffered minor injuries. The three workers were on scaffolding and were rescued by firefighters using a ladder truck, Itallian news agency ANSA said.
The initial collapse happened at around 11:30 a.m. CEST. While firefighters were rescuing workers at about 1 p.m. an internal section of the tower collapsed, leaving one worker trapped on an upper floor, The Guardian reported.
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Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri and Italy’s culture minister Alessandro Giuli were at the scene, The Guardian said.
The tower hasn’t been open to the public since 2006, The New York Times reported. It’s 95-feet tall and was built in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III for his family. It was once double that height, but earthquakes damaged the upper sections over the centuries. It was scheduled to reopen in 2026 after four years of restoration work.
Firefighters work at the site after a section of the Torre dei Conti collapsed in Rome Monday. The collapse seriously injured one worker and required firefighters to rescue others from the structure. A second collapse happened during the rescue operation. Photo by Massimo Percossi/EPA
The area around the tower is a heavy tourist area.
