Firefighters faced a complex task as the structure continued to give way as they tried to get near the trapped worker through a first-floor window, forcing their retreat on telescopic aerial ladders in a cloud of smoke.

A medieval stone tower in the heart of Rome partially collapsed on Monday, trapping construction workers under rubble.

"It will be a very long operation. We must try to save this person while mitigating the enormous risks to the people who are trying to save him.”