The Torre dei Conti, a medieval tower near Rome’s famed Colosseum, partially collapsed on Monday, seriously injuring a worker, according to the Italian news agency, ANSA.
Two others sustained minor injuries in the collapse, ANSA reported. At least one other person was trapped under the rubble, Luca Cari, a spokesman for Rome’s fire department, said.
The group was part of a team conducting restoration work on the tower, which has not been open to the public since 2006.
In videos posted to social media, clouds of dust billow from the scene amid the roar of collapsing stone.
Workers were on scaffolding when an initial collapse took place, according to ANSA, and had to be rescued by a Fire Department ladder truck. Two workers sustained minor injuries, but a third, a 64-year-old man, was critically injured when he was struck in the head by falling debris.
A second partial collapse occurred as firefighters were conducting a rescue operation, The Associated Press reported.
The tower, which stands nearly 100 feet tall near the medieval Roman Forum and the Colosseum, was built in the 13th century and used by Pope Innocent III as a residence for his family. It has suffered various structural and cosmetic damages over the centuries, mostly because of earthquakes. It was tentatively scheduled to reopen in 2026 after a four-year restoration project.
Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting from Rome.
Ali Watkins covers international news for The Times and is based in Belfast.
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