Overview
- Octay Stroici, 66, died at Rome’s Umberto I hospital after being trapped under debris for about 10–11 hours before his evening rescue.
- Two partial collapses struck the medieval tower roughly an hour apart during works, injuring several workers and prompting a large-scale operation by up to 140 firefighters.
- The Rome prosecutor’s office opened an inquiry for disastro colposo and lesioni colpose, with some outlets also citing omicidio colposo; the site is under seizure and witness interviews are underway.
- Investigators seized pre-work structural reports that had certified static suitability, ordered expert consulencies, and are examining scaffolding, a hoist, and any micro-demolition or asbestos-removal steps near the stairwell and lift shaft.
- The project is a €6.9 million PNRR ‘Caput Mundi’ restoration whose first €400,000 tranche began in June for asbestos removal and preliminaries, drawing scrutiny of oversight as prominent archaeologists question the technical management.