The tower of the Reformed Church in Cehu Silvaniei collapsed on Tuesday evening, following four days of successive warnings and accelerated deterioration which exceeded all initial technical estimates, according to a detailed chronological report made public by the Ministry of Culture in a press release.

'On 30 January 2026, the removal of plaster from the tower's outline up to the top of the buttresses was completed. During this operation, it was found that the deterioration, cracking, and quality of the stone masonry were significantly worse than estimates from previous investigations. The contractor reported detachment of stone material, leading to the immediate suspension of plaster removal, installation of local supports around the door opening and the organisation of an inspection in the presence of all decision-makers, scheduled for 3 February 2026,' the release mentioned.

On the same day, archaeologists conducting excavations in the church nave noticed dust and mortar fragments falling in the ground-floor area of the tower, and sheets were installed to monitor the debris.

Subsequently, dust was also reported above the vault over the organ gallery, prompting the installation of glass markers to monitor cracks, the suspension of bell ringing, the preventive notification of the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, and a request to divert heavy traffic away from the vicinity of the church.

'Following inspections on site, the solution adopted was the implementation of a scaffolding and support system for the lower part of the tower on the exterior west facade, combined with a similar interior support system, to prevent the development of a possible collapse scenario,' the Culture Ministry representatives added.

The progression towards collapse became irreversible on the afternoon of 3 February, when technical monitoring indicated a dramatic acceleration of deterioration, including the detachment of one of the interior control markers and the beginning of plaster fragments falling from the vault intrados.

Despite the site manager and design team requesting the expedited installation of scaffolding at 15:00 to prevent a possible collapse scenario, the structure collapsed completely less than three hours after the last inspection on the ground floor.

The Ministry of Culture underscored that the recent archaeological excavations, carried out up to the day of the collapse, had no direct connection with the tower's foundation and were conducted exclusively in the church nave and the north and south collateral areas, with no excavations at the level of the tower.

On 6 January, specialists from the National Heritage Institute conducted a 3D scan of the monument to complete the technical assessment, while the remaining valuable elements are being recovered from the rubble under strict supervision.

The Ministry of Culture announced that it continues to monitor the situation and will publicly communicate the results of the technical and administrative investigations. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Sebastian Olaru; EN - writing by: Rodica State)