Part of a medieval tower in the heart of Rome has collapsed, trapping one worker and leaving others injured.
A section of the Torre dei Conti, on the edge of the famous Roman Forum and close to the Colosseum, gave way just after 11:30 local time (10:30 GMT). Three other workers were pulled out of the rubble, including one said to be in a critical condition.
The Romanian foreign ministry said the trapped worker, who has been communicating with rescue workers, was one of its citizens, as was another of the workers, who suffered minor injuries.
The tower has been closed to the public for many years, and was undergoing conservation work when a section collapsed.
“It’s a very complex situation for the firefighters because there is a person trapped inside,” Rome prefect Lamberto Giannini said.
“My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person currently fighting for his life beneath the rubble, and to his family, for whom I sincerely hope that this tragedy finds a positive outcome,” wrote Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on X.
Efforts to rescue the worker – reported to be in his 60s – were interrupted when a second section of the 29m (90ft) high tower began crumbling again, with bricks raining down, creating a huge cloud of dust.
One firefighter was taken to hospital with an eye problem, according to local media, but the rest were unharmed, eventually resuming their search for the man.
After the initial collapse, firefighters “put up some protection” around the trapped man, so when the second collapse happened, “they obviously shielded him”, Lamberto Giannini said.
“It will be a very long operation because we have to try to save the person, but we also have to try to mitigate… the enormous risks faced by the people trying to carry out the rescue,” he added.
A police chief has said there is no imminent danger that the tower will disintegrate.
Another worker, 67-year-old Ottaviano, who was inside at the time of the collapse but escaped from a balcony uninjured, told the AFP news agency: “It was not safe. I just want to go home.”
Rome’s mayor and the country’s culture minister have visited the scene. A crane and drone are also being used to assist with the rescue operation.
The 13th Century tower is part of the Roman Forum, a major tourist attraction right in the heart of the city, but it is separated from the main visitors’ area by a road. The streets all around have been taped off by police as a precaution.
The medieval tower was built by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his brother.
