The Romanian worker trapped under the ruins of the medieval Torre dei Conti tower in Rome died. “His heart stopped in the ambulance”

The Romanian worker who was trapped after the collapse of part of a medieval tower in the center of Rome has died, according to hospital officials, the BBC announces.

Octavian Stroici, with his wife. PHOTO: Facebook Octavian Stroici

Octav Stroici was pulled from the rubble at 11:00 p.m. local time (22:00 GMT), nearly twelve hours after a section of the Torre dei Conti, located on the edge of the famous Roman Forum and near the Colosseum, collapsed and trapped him under the rubble.

“His heart stopped in the ambulance,” the representatives of the hospital sent. The doctors failed to save him, despite the resuscitation maneuvers performed for almost an hour.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest confirmed that Stroici was a Romanian citizen, as was another worker among the three pulled from under the rubble. One of them is in critical condition.

Stroici's rescue was initially described as fair “an outstanding achievement” by the Italian firefighters, who worked late into the night. Emergency crews used drones and cleaning equipment to reach it, despite the risk of the fragile tower collapsing further.

The man was conscious and spoke to emergency crews throughout the operation, while his wife was at the scene.

Octav Stroici, aged 66, was originally from Suceava and lived on the outskirts of Rome. He was carrying out conservation work on the medieval tower, part of the Roman Forum complex. The building was empty and abandoned for many years.

The public prosecutor's office in Rome has opened an investigation into the incident. Rescue efforts were temporarily halted after a second section of the 29-metre tower began to collapse again, “bricks falling like rain and creating a huge cloud of dust”the Italian press reports.

The Prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini, described the situation as “very complex”:

“After the initial collapse, firefighters installed a guard around the trapped man, so when the second collapse occurred, they obviously protected him.”

He added that the rescue operation was a long one due to the need to “mitigated the enormous risks faced by the people attempting the rescue.”

One firefighter was transported to the hospital with an eye problem, but the rest of the team escaped unharmed and resumed the search. According to the authorities, there is no imminent danger of the tower collapsing completely.

In a message posted on X, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to the person who is 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.”

After the announcement of the death, Meloni returned with a message of condolences: “I express my deep sadness and condolences, on behalf of myself and the government, for the tragic death of Octav Stroici, the worker who died in the collapse of the Torre dei Conti in Rome. We are with his family and colleagues in this moment of indescribable suffering.”

She thanked “once again to the rescuers and all those who worked tirelessly and bravely to try to save his life”.

According to the Umberto I Polyclinic, the man arrived at the emergency room at 23:05, in cardiac arrest.

“He underwent CPR, which had already been started at the scene of the crash. Upon arrival at the emergency department, the medical team continued CPR for approximately one hour. Despite these efforts, spontaneous cardiac activity could not be restored.”the hospital sent, specifying that the death was pronounced at 00:20.

The presidential advisor for national security Marius-Gabriel Lazurca declared that it is “concerned about the Romanian workers participating in the renovation of the Torre dei Conti in Rome”.

“I hope from the bottom of my heart that our compatriot still trapped under the rubble will be rescued as soon as possible”he transmitted before the completion of the operation.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Oana Ţoiu, confirmed that two Romanians were injured in the crash, one 48 years old and the other 66 years old. The MFA stated that the Romanian transported to the hospital is slightly injured and is out of any danger.