(MENAFN) Emergency crews in Rome successfully pulled a worker alive from beneath debris Monday following partial collapses of the Torre dei Conti, a medieval tower located within walking distance of the Colosseum.

The rescued man’s condition was described as “serious,” though he remained conscious when firefighters extracted him using a telescopic aerial ladder and transported him on a stretcher to an ambulance, according to local authorities.

Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini explained that the operation was prolonged because “debris from additional collapses kept covering the man's body.” Three other workers present in the tower were also saved by firefighters who arrived with multiple emergency teams and mobile ladder trucks early Monday.

Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli praised the effort, calling it “exemplary.” Earlier in the day, one rescued worker was hospitalized in serious but not life-threatening condition, while two others sustained minor injuries.

Police cordoned off the surrounding area on Via dei Fori Imperiali, a typically crowded tourist thoroughfare. Reports indicate the first collapse occurred around 11:30 am local time, followed by a second about 90 minutes later as rescuers were already on-site. Some rescue personnel were caught in the second collapse, temporarily halting operations, though no injuries were reported among the team.

The Torre dei Conti, commissioned in 1238 by Pope Innocent III and built by his brother Richard Conti as a fortified family residence, had been undergoing EU-funded renovations after years of neglect. Originally twice its current 29-meter height, the tower had been reduced following earthquake damage in the 14th and 17th centuries. Local authorities confirmed that prosecutors have opened an investigation into the collapse.

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