Rescuers Work To Reach Worker Trapped In Medieval Tower That Partially Collapsed In Rome

Firefighters in Rome have been working to rescue a worker trapped beneath rubble after a medieval tower partially collapsed during renovation.

ROME (AP) — Firefighters worked to rescue a worker trapped for hours beneath the rubble of a medieval tower that partially collapsed while under renovation in the heart of Italy’s capital on Monday, critically injuring another worker. (Watch video above.)

Firefighters faced a complex task as the structure continued to give way as they tried to get near the trapped worker through a first-floor window, forcing their retreat on telescopic aerial ladders in a cloud of smoke. 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.

Three workers were rescued unharmed after the initial midday collapse, said firefighter spokesperson Luca Cari. Italian media reported that another worker, age 64, was hospitalized in critical condition but there was no immediate update on his condition. No firefighters were injured in the ongoing operation.

Rome’s top law enforcement official, Prefect Lamberto Giannini, said there were “signs of life” from the trapped worker, and that firefighters had managed to give him some protective cover during an earlier rescue attempt.