A Romanian worker pulled from the rubble of a partially destroyed medieval tower in Italy’s capital Rome has died in hospital, officials said.
Oktay Stroich remained conscious during the long rescue operation, but was taken to the Umberto I Hospital late Monday in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead several hours later.
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Italian news agency ANSA quoted the Umberto I Hospital as saying, “Resuscitation attempts were made for about an hour to save Oktay Stroich.”
“Nevertheless, spontaneous cardiac activity could not be restored” and he was pronounced dead at 12:20 am (23:20 GMT) on Tuesday.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni immediately offered her condolences.
“On behalf of myself and the government, I would like to express my deepest sadness and condolences over the tragic death of worker Oktay Stroich, who died in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in Rome,” she said in a statement. “We are close to his family and colleagues at this time of unspeakable suffering.”
Stroich was helping renovate the 29-metre (95-foot) Conti Tower, which partially collapsed just before noon on Monday, sending debris into the street and sending thick white dust into the air.
The collapse trapped Stroich, and rescuers faced a complicated task as they tried to access him using aerial ladders and first-floor windows. However, a second collapse occurred 90 minutes later and they were forced to withdraw.
Another approach using two ladders was also called off and a drone was flown in its place.
As dusk approached, firefighters on cranes used giant tubes to suck out debris from second-story windows. They continued working until late at night.
“The operation took a long time because each time a part of the body was released, more debris was added,” Rome Governor Lamberto Giannini told reporters.
Firefighter spokesman Luca Cali said three workers were rescued unharmed after the first incident at noon. Another worker, 64, was hospitalized in serious condition, and state TV RAI reported that he was conscious but had a broken nose.
No firefighters were injured in the operation.
Torre dei Conti is located in a lively area just off the Imperial Forum and close to Italy’s top tourist destination, the Colosseum. It was built in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III as a family residence.
The tower was damaged in an earthquake in 1349 and then collapsed in the 17th century.
The building, which has been closed since 2007, is undergoing a 6.9 million euro (about $8 million) restoration, including conservation work, the installation of electrical, lighting and water systems, and the creation of a new museum dedicated to the latest phase of the Roman Imperial Forum, officials said.
Before the latest phase began in June, “structural surveys and load tests were conducted to verify the stability of the structure and the necessary safety conditions were confirmed” to proceed with the work, which includes asbestos removal, officials said.
The current construction, which cost 400,000 euros ($460,000), is almost complete.
In a separate development, the Italian government summoned the Russian ambassador after a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson linked the accident to Italy’s aid to Ukraine.
“As long as the Italian government continues to waste the people’s tax money, the whole of Italy, from the economy to the towers, will collapse,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called Zakharova’s comments “shameful” and “unacceptable.”
