Firefighters finally managed to extract a worker from beneath rubble inside a medieval tower that partially collapsed during renovation work in the heart of Italy's capital on Tuesday, but the joy of that rescue proved short-lived.
The man didn’t withstand the trauma he suffered and died soon thereafter.
"I express deep sorrow and condolences, on behalf of myself and the government, for the tragic loss of Octay Stroici, the worker who was killed in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in Rome," Italy’s Premier Giorgia Meloni said in a statement after midnight. "We are close to his family and colleagues at this time of unspeakable suffering."
Images broadcast on local television had shown 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 at the time.
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.
"The operation lasted a long time because every time a part of the body was freed there was additional rubble that covered it," Giannini said.
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 hospitalised 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 parlour 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 told The Associated Press as yet more rubble crashed down.
The tower, which has been closed since 2007, is undergoing a €6.9 million (NZ$13.9 million) restoration, which includes conservation 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 (NZ$808,554), 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.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Meloni had shared her hopes for a successful rescue.
"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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