Italy bridge: Genoa Motorway Collapse, Reportedly 22 Fatalities

A motorway bridge has collapsed near the northwestern Italian city of Genoa, with reports that at least 22 people have been reported dead, Italian officials say.

Italian authorities say that about 10 vehicles were involved when a raised highway collapsed during a sudden and violent storm in Genoa pic.twitter.com/ZoO3Uy25Hw

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A portion of the bridge came crashing down from a height of about 50 meters over a river and some railroad tracks and building, during torrential rainfall, the local fire brigade said. According to a news source, from Italy, “The President of the Council Giuseppe Conte, in contact with the Minister of Infrastructures Danilo Toninelli and with the head of the Civil Protection Angelo Borrelli will travel to Genoa tonight, in the prefecture and will remain in the Ligurian capital tomorrow. According to sources of Palazzo Chigi. “I am following with great apprehension what happened in Genoa and that is looking like a terrible tragedy “, “my total closeness in these hours to the city” “Who will be responsible – he has punctuated – must pay up to the last”.

The collapse was along a highway that connects Italy to France, and northern cities like Milan to the beaches of Liguria. It came on the eve of a major Italian summer holiday on Wednesday called Ferragosto, which caused major traffic over that bridge.

The bridge was restructured in 2016, and its foundation was being strengthened and constantly monitored at the time of the collapse, Reuters said.