ROME — A medieval tower in the center of Rome undergoing EU-funded restoration work partially collapsed on Monday, injuring a worker and leaving another trapped inside.

The Torre dei Conti, close to the Roman Forum, collapsed for the first time late Monday morning. As emergency services worked to secure the site, there was a second collapse.

The imposing fortress was built in the 13th century as the residence of the family of then-Pope Innocent III.

It was undergoing restoration as part of the Caput Mundi–Next Generation EU project, funded by the EU’s post-Covid economic reconstruction program.

The prefect of Rome, Lamberto Giannini, said one person remained trapped inside. The second collapse “had rendered the operation very long and complex,” he said. “We hope for a good result but it’s not simple.”

The accident came days after the government approved legislation to improve safety in the workplace, after a series of fatal accidents. The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, and Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli rushed to the scene Monday.   

Luke, who didn’t want to give his surname, a 33-year-old security guard from Manchester, who is on vacation in Rome, told POLITICO: “We went to the Colosseum and as we left we heard lots of sirens coming this way. When we came round the corner, we could see the dust. The fire brigade took three people out of the window. They were all covered in dust. One was bleeding.”

He added: “Not long afterward we were walking through the Roman Forum when we saw the dust from the second collapse.”

The holidaymaker said it was “crazy” that a building in the center of Rome could collapse. “We had seen it last night and said maybe we could come back in a few years and visit it. You would think that with them restoring it, it would be safe. Obviously that’s not the case and there was a mistake in the planning.”