A 66-year-old Romanian worker, Octay Stroici, died overnight in Rome after being trapped for 11 hours under the rubble of a section of the medieval tower Torre dei Conti. There was a partial tower collapse during renovation work on Monday.
Stroici had been rescued alive but succumbed to his injuries at the Umberto I hospital.
The collapse occurred during restoration of the tower, located close to the Colosseum and the Roman Forum; three other workers were pulled out soon after the initial collapse, one of them seriously injured. Prosecutors have opened an investigation into culpable disaster and manslaughter.
This accident comes amid a wider crisis in Italy’s workplace-safety record. In January 2025, the number of workplace deaths rose by 34 % year-on-year, with 45 fatalities compared with 33 at the same time last year. For the first half of 2025, the toll reached 502 deaths – a 7 % increase over the same period in 2024.
The tragedy at the Torre dei Conti epitomises key risk factors: high-risk sectors, older workers, and restoration or construction sites with complex hazards. The broader data signal that despite repeated warnings, Italy has yet to turn the corner on preventing fatal accidents at work.
