Massive damage
Govt blames firm in charge as death toll rises to 38
Two views detailing the extent of the damage to the Morandi highway bridge after it collapses in Genoa, northern Italy. As at press time, the death toll stands at 38 with some people still missing. The highway bridge fell during a violent storm, sending vehicles plunging 45m into a heap of rubble.
GENOA: A frantic search was underway for survivors of a bridge collapse in Genoa as the death toll rose to 38 and the government blamed the company in charge of the country’s motorways for the disaster.
A vast span of the Morandi bridge caved in during a heavy rainstorm in the northern port city on Tuesday, sending about 35 cars and several trucks plunging 45m onto the railway tracks below.
The victims include children aged eight, 12 and 13, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said yesterday, adding that more people were still missing.
The government said it intended to revoke the contract of Autostrade per l’Italia, a private sector company owned by Atlantia, and slap it
€ with a fine of 150mil (RM697mil).
Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio, who was due to arrive in Genoa yesterday, said the tragedy “could have been avoided”.
“Autostrade should have done maintenance and didn’t do it,” he said.
Rescuers recovered three bodies overnight, fire official Emanuele Gissi said, after scouring the scene of devastation under floodlights.
“All accessible spaces have been explored, now we are moving the largest pieces of debris,” Gissi said.
He added that two large cranes would be used in the operation, which is set to take days.
Sources in the interior ministry told Italian media that 16 people were wounded, including 12 in serious condition.
The collapse came as the bridge was undergoing maintenance work while the Liguria region, where Genoa is situated, experienced torrential rainfall.
Aerial footage showed more than 200m of the viaduct was completely destroyed.
Rescuers combed through the wreckage strewn among shrubland and train tracks, as helicopters winched survivors on stretchers from the rubble.
A thousand people have been mobilised in the rescue effort, according to the Civil Protection service.
As cars and trucks tumbled off the bridge, Afifi Idriss, 39, a Moroccan lorry driver, just managed to come to a halt in time.
“I saw the green lorry in front of me stop and then reverse so I stopped too, locked the truck and ran,” he said.
Some that plunged down with the bridge managed to escape unscathed, including a former goalkeeper for Italian Serie A club Cagliari. “I was driving along the bridge, and at a certain point I saw the road in front of me collapse, and I went down with the car,” Davide Capello told TV news channel Sky TG24.