Genoa Bridge Collapse – At Least 39 Died, Multiple People Remain Missing + 500 Evacuated Over Fears Rest of Bridge May Collapse (NEW Photos and Videos) UPD
A motorway bridge reported to reach around 100 meters over the northwestern city, has collapsed on Tuesday. Italian rescuers have searched through the night for any survivors.
Follow the updates to know more.
Source: ANDREA LEONI/AFP/Getty Images
Updated 4:43 a.m. ET, August 15:
- Rescuers worked through the night to attempt to account for all of the victims of Tuesday’s Morandi Bridge disaster in Genoa, as Italy’s President called for a “serious and severe examination” into why the bridge suddenly collapsed.
Source: PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP
- At least 36 people died when a major section of the motorway in Italy’s northwest partially collapsed during a heavy storm, according to Chief of Police Col. Riccardo Sciuto.
- One entire family died in the accident, Sciuto added. The death toll is likely to rise as multiple people remain missing.
Source: ANDREA LEONI/AFP/Getty Images
- The head of the Italian Civil Protection Agency, Angelo Borrelli, said about 30 vehicles and several heavy-duty trucks were on the affected section of the bridge when it collapsed.
Source: EPA-EFE/LUCA ZENNARO
Updated 3:38 p.m. ET, August 14:
Italy’s prime minister said 22 people have been confirmed dead, a toll lower than the 35 people the governor’s office tweeted hours earlier.
Source: FEDERICO SCOPPA/AFP/Getty Images
The cause of the collapse is still unclear. Police suggested a violent storm may have caused the bridge, which was under maintenance, to give way.
Horrible tragedy
A motorway bridge collapsed over the northern Italian port city of Genoa in what the transport minister said was likely to be “an immense tragedy”, Reuters reports. Rescue operations are underway to remove the rubble.
Source: Polizia di Stato via Twitter
Local media confirm at least 11 people, killed so far, “but we suppose there are unfortunately a lot of dead” – ambulance official told Reuters. The head of the local ambulance service said there were “dozens of dead”, Italian news agency Adnkronos reported.
Source: EPA
The local fire brigade said also victims were likely after the bridge collapsed at around 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT) during torrential rainfall.
Disastro a #Genova. Crolla il ponte Autostradale. Stiamo cercando informazioni. pic.twitter.com/f2Z0c91JLZ
— Sergio Battelli (@BattelliSergio) August 14, 2018
Italian television showed images of the collapsed bridge, which was built on the A10 toll motorway in the 1960s. Restructuring work on the bridge was carried out in 2016. The bridge, built in the 1960s, is known as the Morandi bridge. The missing section was dozens of metres in length, and ran across the span of the Polcevera stream.
Violento nubifragio #Genova #crollo parte del viadotto Polcevera-Morandi Km 0,200 su autostrada A10
Uscita obbligatoria Genova aeroporto direzione Ventimiglia
Uscita obbligatoria bivio A10 con A7 direzione Genova @StradeAnas @DPCgov @emergenzavvf @Viminale @ComunediGenova pic.twitter.com/7YJINjFWRX— Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) August 14, 2018
It crumbled over a river, railroad tracks and buildings. A witness told Sky Italia television he saw “eight or nine” vehicles on the bridge when it collapsed in what he said was an “apocalyptic scene”.
Source: EPA
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said in a tweet that he was “following with great apprehension what seems like an immense tragedy”.
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