Rescuers save man trapped for hours in partially collapsed medieval tower in Rome

ROME (AP) — Firefighters late Monday rescued a worker after hours trapped beneath rubble in a medieval tower that partially collapsed during renovation work in the heart of Italy’s capital Monday.

Images broadcast on local television showed a trio of rescuers loading the man onto a telescopic aerial ladder, then descending and wheeling him on a stretcher into an ambulance. His state wasn’t immediately clear, but Adriano De Acutis, chief commander of Rome’s firefighters, said on state television channel RAI that he was conscious.

“Since the conditions seem serious, they will now evaluate him and he was immediately taken to the hospital,” Lamberto Giannini, prefect of Rome, told reporters afterward. “The operation lasted a long time because every time a part of the body was freed there was additional rubble that covered it.”

Rescuers had faced a complex task as they tried to use a first-floor window to get near the trapped worker. But they were forced to retreat in a cloud of debris as the structure continued to give way. Another approach on two ladders was also aborted, and a drone sent up in their stead.

As dusk approached, firefighters lifted on a crane used giant tubes to suck rubble out of the second-floor window. They continued the work late into the night.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri had told reporters earlier that the worker was speaking to rescuers and using an oxygen mask. He added that rescuers were working with extreme caution in “a very delicate extraction operation” to avoid further collapses.

Three workers were rescued unharmed after the initial midday incident, said firefighter spokesperson Luca Cari. Another worker, age 64, was hospitalized in critical condition; RAI reported he was conscious and had suffered a broken nose.

No firefighters were injured in the ensuing operation.

The Torre dei Conti was built in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his family. The tower was damaged in a 1349 earthquake and suffered subsequent collapses in the 17th century.

Hundreds of tourists had gathered to watch as firefighters used a mobile ladder to bring a stretcher to the upper level of the Torre dei Conti during the first rescue attempt. Suddenly, another part of the structure crumbled, sending up a cloud of debris and forcing firefighters to quickly descend.

The first collapse struck the central buttress of the structure’s southern side, and caused an underlying sloped base to fall. The second damaged part of the stairwell and roof, cultural heritage officials said in a statement.

Queen Paglinawan, 27, was attending to a client in a gelato parlor next door when the tower first started coming apart.

“I was working and then I heard something falling, and then I saw the tower collapse in a diagonal way,″ Paglinawan, 27, told The Associated Press as yet more rubble crashed down.

The tower, which has been closed since 2007, is undergoing a 6.9 million euro (nearly $8 million) restoration, that includes conservations work, the installation of electrical, lighting and water systems and a new museum installation dedicated to the most recent phases of the Roman Imperial Forum, officials said.

Before the latest phase was started in June, structural surveys and load tests were carried out “to verify the stability of the structure, which confirmed the safety conditions necessary” to proceed with work, including asbestos removal, officials said. The current work, carried out at a cost of 400,000 euros ($460,000), was just about complete.

Italian prosecutors arrived at the scene as the rescue operation was underway, and were investigating possible charges for negligent disaster and negligent injuries, Italian media reported. It is common in Italy for investigations to begin while an event is ongoing and before possible suspects are identified.

German student Viktoria Braeu had just finished a tour at the nearby Colosseum and was passing by the scene during the firefighters’ initial rescue attempt.

“And then we were like, ‘It’s probably not long until it’s going to go down,’ and then it just started erupting,” said Braeu, 18.

Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni had shared her hopes for a successful rescue earlier Monday evening.

“My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person currently fighting for his life under the rubble and to his family, for whom I sincerely hope that this tragedy will have a positive outcome,” Meloni said in a statement.

“​I would like to thank all the law enforcement officers, firefighters, and rescue workers who are intervening with courage, professionalism, and dedication in this extremely difficult situation.”

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AP reporters Colleen Barry in Milan and Silvia Stellaci in Rome contributed