Workers Trapped After Ancient Tower Collapses in Rome

A dramatic rescue unfolded overnight in the heart of Rome after part of a 13th-century tower collapsed near the Colosseum, trapping workers under tons of debris.

Emergency crews pulled a Romanian worker alive from the rubble of the Torre dei Conti around 11 p.m. local time—nearly twelve agonizing hours after the ancient structure partially caved in during restoration work. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where officials say his condition is “serious but stable.”

Authorities said the 29-meter (90-foot) tower began crumbling early Thursday morning, sending bricks and dust raining down over one of Rome’s busiest historic corridors. Three other workers were rescued earlier, one in critical condition.

Firefighters described the scene as “chaotic” and “extremely dangerous,” as a second collapse briefly halted rescue operations and left crews scrambling for safety.

“We put up temporary protections around the trapped man,” said Rome prefect Lamberto Giannini. “When the second collapse came, those barriers likely saved his life.”

One firefighter was treated for an eye injury, but officials confirmed no other members of the emergency team were seriously hurt.

The Torre dei Conti, built in the early 1200s under Pope Innocent III for his brother, has long been closed to tourists and was undergoing structural conservation. Still, its partial collapse struck at the heart of Italy’s cultural pride.

“This is one of Rome’s symbolic towers, standing just steps from the Colosseum,” said Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who visited the scene late Thursday. “We hope the injured workers recover quickly, and we must understand how this could happen to a monument of such importance.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also expressed concern on X (formerly Twitter) during the tense hours before the rescue was complete. “My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person currently fighting for his life beneath the rubble,” she wrote. “I sincerely hope this tragedy finds a positive outcome.”

Ottaviano, a 67-year-old construction worker who escaped the collapse uninjured, told AFP he had sensed danger moments before the disaster. “It was not safe,” he said. “I just want to go home.”

Police have sealed off the surrounding streets as engineers assess whether the ancient stone structure remains stable. So far, officials say there’s no imminent risk of a total collapse, though large cracks are visible in the upper section.

A criminal investigation has been opened by the Rome Prosecutor’s Office to determine whether negligence played a role. Sources told local media that the site’s conservation work had been delayed several times due to funding and safety concerns.

The Torre dei Conti—once called “the Tower of Miracles”—was among medieval Rome’s tallest fortresses, serving as both a papal residence and a military stronghold overlooking the Forum. Its collapse has reignited debate about the fragile state of Italy’s centuries-old heritage sites, many of which are slowly decaying despite restoration efforts.

As dawn broke over Rome’s skyline, cranes and drones hovered above the damaged monument, scanning for structural weaknesses. Officials have vowed to stabilize what remains of the tower, even as investigators piece together what caused one of the capital’s most dramatic architectural disasters in years.

“It’s a miracle anyone survived,” one firefighter said quietly as rescue crews packed up their gear. “That tower has stood for eight hundred years. Tonight, it almost didn’t make it.”