By Giada Zampano
ROME (AA) - A medieval tower partially collapsed in central Rome on Monday morning, as renovation works were underway, seriously injuring at least one worker, rescuers said.
At least 11 other people at work at the Torrei dei Conti were rescued by firefighters, who rushed to the scene with three emergency teams and two ladder trucks. Police cordoned off the area overlooking Rome’s central Via dei Fori Imperiali, close to the Colosseum, and crowded with hundreds of tourists and on lookers.
The first massive collapse happened at around 11.30 am local time (10.30 GMT) and was followed by a second one, about one hour and half later, as the rescuers were at work. Some of them were involved in the second collapse, which forced them to temporarily halt the operations using a mobile ladder, TV images showed. Firefighters said the rescue team was unharmed.
Initial information indicated that one of the workers was trapped under the rubble, but remained responsive in communicating with rescuers, local media reported. The conditions of the trapped worker following the second collapse were not known.
Law enforcement officers, including Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, were at the scene.
The Torre dei Conti, built in 1238 by Pope Innocent III, was undergoing renovation work after years of abandonment. Rome’s prosecutors have opened a probe into the collapse, Italian media said.