Quarter of Bolzano courthouse collapses, three narrowly escape injury
Authorities say it is too early to determine the cause of the collapse
A quarter of the courthouse in Bolzano collapsed early on Thursday morning while three people were inside the building.
Italian media reported that the three cleaners were rescued from the rubble largely unharmed, with only one suffering minor scratches.
The courthouse, in the autonomous northern Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige, dates back to the interwar period and was undergoing renovation and expansion works.
The structural columns in the section under renovation gave way at 6.24am. Four floors of the central section of the building were completely reduced to rubble.
ANSA reported that the collapse is believed to be linked to the ongoing works, although prosecutor Axel Bisignano said it was "too early" to determine the cause.
"The entire central section of the courthouse is completely unusable. It is still too early to determine what caused the collapse. Our priority now is to restore operations as quickly as possible and work out how to redistribute staff," he said.
Bolzano Tribunal president Francesca Bortolotti told ANSA that "we can truly speak of a miracle; it could have ended in tragedy."