Rome's Ancient Tower Collapses, Leaving One Worker Trapped in Critical Condition
A shocking scene unfolded in the heart of Rome on Monday as a medieval tower near the Roman Forum partially collapsed during renovation work. The incident left one worker critically injured and another trapped, with firefighters desperately racing against time to reach them.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with hundreds of tourists watching in horror as firefighters used mobile ladders to bring a stretcher to the upper level of the Torre dei Conti tower. The rescue attempt was complicated by the sudden partial collapse of another section of the structure, sending up a massive cloud of debris and forcing firefighters to retreat quickly.
"It was like a diagonal way," said Queen Paglinawan, 27, who works at a nearby gelato parlor and witnessed the initial collapse. "I heard some noises, and then I saw the tower collapse."
Another witness, German student Viktoria Braeu, 18, described the scene as "exploding" as she watched from a distance. "We were just walking to get some food, and then we saw it start erupting," she said.
Firefighters approached the first-floor window on two mobile ladders but were quickly pulled back due to dust emerging. Authorities then positioned a drone in front of the window to assess the condition of the trapped worker.
The Torre dei Conti tower, built in the 13th century as a residence for Pope Innocent III's family, has a history of collapses. It suffered damage in a 1349 earthquake and subsequent collapses in the 17th century.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli were at the scene but declined to speak with reporters. The incident is a sobering reminder of the risks associated with renovation work, particularly in ancient structures like the Torre dei Conti.
The worker who remains trapped was taken to hospital in critical condition, while three others were rescued unharmed. As the city struggles to come to terms with this shocking incident, one thing is clear: safety will be a top priority as authorities work to repair and stabilize the damaged tower.
A shocking scene unfolded in the heart of Rome on Monday as a medieval tower near the Roman Forum partially collapsed during renovation work. The incident left one worker critically injured and another trapped, with firefighters desperately racing against time to reach them.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with hundreds of tourists watching in horror as firefighters used mobile ladders to bring a stretcher to the upper level of the Torre dei Conti tower. The rescue attempt was complicated by the sudden partial collapse of another section of the structure, sending up a massive cloud of debris and forcing firefighters to retreat quickly.
"It was like a diagonal way," said Queen Paglinawan, 27, who works at a nearby gelato parlor and witnessed the initial collapse. "I heard some noises, and then I saw the tower collapse."
Another witness, German student Viktoria Braeu, 18, described the scene as "exploding" as she watched from a distance. "We were just walking to get some food, and then we saw it start erupting," she said.
Firefighters approached the first-floor window on two mobile ladders but were quickly pulled back due to dust emerging. Authorities then positioned a drone in front of the window to assess the condition of the trapped worker.
The Torre dei Conti tower, built in the 13th century as a residence for Pope Innocent III's family, has a history of collapses. It suffered damage in a 1349 earthquake and subsequent collapses in the 17th century.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli were at the scene but declined to speak with reporters. The incident is a sobering reminder of the risks associated with renovation work, particularly in ancient structures like the Torre dei Conti.
The worker who remains trapped was taken to hospital in critical condition, while three others were rescued unharmed. As the city struggles to come to terms with this shocking incident, one thing is clear: safety will be a top priority as authorities work to repair and stabilize the damaged tower.
The risks associated with renovation work are real, especially when dealing with ancient structures like the Torre dei Conti. I hope the trapped worker recovers soon and that safety measures are put in place to prevent such incidents from happening again 
i mean what if they couldn't get him out in time? poor guy 
the thing is though why do these things happen so often? was it just bad luck or is there something more to it? like were the buildings built with some kinda materials that are prone to collapse or was it just a matter of old age and wear and tear? 
i also wonder what kind of safety measures were in place during the renovation work. did they have any backup plans if things went wrong? 
gotta take care of the city's history while keeping its people safe 
. Like, what's the point of preserving these ancient buildings if you're just gonna risk people's lives every time? I mean, they knew this thing was unstable before they started messing with it... shouldn't've done it anyway 
. Just great.
. I mean, who needs a tourist attraction to have safety features, right? 
Still, hope the trapped worker recovers soon and that authorities take this as a sign to double up on safety protocols 
, i mean we got ancient structures collapsing like it's nobody's business. and what's with all these new-fangled drones being used in rescue ops? can't they just stick to good ol' fashioned ladder work or something? 
also, 1349 earthquake? that's crazy! how do old buildings even survive for so long without collapsing? anyway, hope the guy who got trapped is okay, but seriously, shouldn't we be building new stuff instead of messing around with old ruins? 
. Glad some people got rescued unharmed, though 
. Can only imagine the drone footage from the rescue attempt 
. City needs to get that tower stabilized ASAP 
.
. safety first, all the way. hopefully they can get this tower fixed up soon so it doesn't happen again.
. On one hand, it's amazing how people can bring ancient structures back to life 
. On the other, accidents like this remind us of the importance of prioritizing safety in these projects 
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i hope the worker recovers soon and its a good lesson 4 authorities 2 improve safety protocols in future renovations 
that tower is like from another century lol they gotta get that guy out ASAP 
those italian structures can be super unstable 
we need to make sure those workers are safe first and foremost 
what can you do when renovation work goes wrong? at least everyone's safe now 
can only imagine how scary that must've been for witnesses like Queen Paglinawan 
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