“We will miss her”

Building Collapse: Victim Was Renowned TU Professor

Inge Troch, 85, who had been reported missing, was found dead under the rubble after the building collapsed in downtown Vienna.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Eva Manhart, Ulrike Wieser)

The identity of the 85-year-old woman who was recovered dead from the rubble following the devastating building collapse in downtown Vienna has now been revealed: The victim is Inge Troch, a renowned scientist and longtime Protestant church official.

The professor emerita was considered a pioneer in the field of control engineering and mathematics and was also internationally recognized.

“We will miss her dearly”
There is also deep mourning within the Protestant Church. Troch was actively involved in the Lutheran City Church for decades and served as superintendent curator of the Protestant Superintendency A.B. Vienna from 2006 to 2018.

“We will miss her dearly,” reads a statement. Those who knew her recall her “subtle manner,” her willingness to help, and her deep faith.

Ever since it became clear that the 85-year-old was neither among the rescued residents nor at her second home in Tulln, emergency responders had been searching frantically for her.

Police dogs eventually narrowed down her possible location to the heavily damaged building, which remained at risk of collapse. Under extremely difficult conditions, emergency responders worked their way through the rubble.

Emergency responders searched frantically for the missing resident in the building at risk of collapse.(Bild: Stadt Wien | Feuerwehr)

Then, around midnight, came the tragic discovery: The missing woman was found dead.

The investigation is ongoing
The exact cause of the collapse remains under investigation. Construction work had been carried out in the building. The police are investigating on suspicion of negligent endangerment of the public.