The drama of the dead Romanian after the collapse of the Conti tower: he was going to retire in Romania, after 25 years in Italy
Octav Stroici, the Romanian who worked for 25 years in Italy, dreamed of retiring to Romania, with his son. His dream ended tragically when the Conti Tower, a medieval monument in central Rome, collapsed on him and his colleagues while they were working on restoring the building.
The retirement dream ended tragically in Italy
Octav's lock on the first floor sparked a dramatic rescue operation. Pulled out alive after 11 hours under tons of rubble, Octav climbed into the ambulance, but suffered a cardiac arrest.
“Immediately, he went into respiratory arrest. All the medical procedures provided for such a situation were applied. He was immediately transferred to the hospital and, unfortunately, nothing more could be done and the medical team came to inform us of this fact. There were moments of intense emotion, we felt extraordinary solidarity from the Italian authorities“, announced Gabriela Dancău, Romania's ambassador to Italy.
Originally from Suceava, Octav Stroici (66 years old), lived in Monterotondo, on the outskirts of Rome, together with his wife Mariana and daughter Alina. He also passed on his passion for construction to his son, Marius, who worked alongside him at the same company. He returned to Romania, to Suceava, four years ago. His daughter, Alina, preferred to stay in Italy.
Colleagues describe him as “a responsible person who always put service first. Being the oldest in the team, he treated the others as his children, forming lasting friendships with both Romanians and Italians.”
“They worked very hard, they went to Italy for 25 years in order to have a better life. This year he said that in December he was retiring, he built a house in the country and was waiting to go there… that's all. He was a good man, a jumper, so he helped you. He wanted to help everyone, whom he could help”said someone close to him, according to the observer.
The medieval Torre dei Conti tower, abandoned since 2006 and undergoing restoration with European funds, was to be transformed into a cultural center. Authorities say the structure had been tested before the work and deemed safe.
The prosecutor's office in Rome has opened an investigation for manslaughter.
The family decided that the funeral will take place in Suceava, and tomorrow, in Rome, will be a day of local mourning, in memory of the Romanian who dedicated his entire life to work and to the dream of retiring quietly to his native country.
