RESCUERS HAVE SAVED a worker who became trapped when the medieval tower he was helping renovate in Rome partly collapsed.

Part of the Torre dei Conti collapsed just after 11:30 am (10:30 Irish time), sending rubble into the street and a thick white cloud of dust into the air.

One worker was injured and taken to hospital, with Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri saying: “We hope that he will pull through.”

Rome Prefect Lamberto Giannini told reporters the worker was pulled from the rubble after “a long rescue mission”.

The tower is in a busy area, just off the Imperial Forum and close to the Colosseum, Italy’s top tourist site.

A cloud of debris around the tower from a second collapse after the first partial collapse during renovation works Alamy Alamy

Three workers inside the tower were evacuated earlier, with one taken to hospital in critical condition at the time, a firefighter spokesman told AFP.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Italian Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli were present as firefighters cordoned off the street and moved back crowds.

A second partial collapse of the tower about one and a half hours later sent up further billowing clouds of dust.

After the first collapse, firefighters managed to “put up some protection” around the trapped man, so when the second collapse occurred, “they obviously shielded him”, Giannini said.

With dust still in the air, firefighters used cranes to reach tower windows, while a drone entered through another window for an inspection.

An AFP journalist witnessed the arrival of specialised search and rescue firefighter units.

One worker inside at the time of the first collapse told AFP he escaped from a balcony.

“It was not safe. I just want to go home,” said the man, white dust covering his uniform, who gave his name as Ottaviano and his age as 67.

The Torre dei Conti, dating from the early 13th century, was being restored with European Union funds.