Twenty two killed, including a baby, and dozens more feared dead as huge section of Italian highway bridge collapses as cars drove across it in fierce storm
At least 30 dead after huge section of Morandi bridge suddenly collapsed during fierce storm in Genoa, Italy
Cars and trucks fell 300ft at 11.30am today as one witness described the carnage as an ‘apocalyptic scene’
Officials fear there are ‘dozens dead’ in the ‘immense tragedy’ and there are also fears of gas pipe explosions
Bridge was built on the A10 toll motorway in northwestern Italy in the 1960s and was undergoing repairs
Were you in Genoa when the bridge collapsed? Email charlie.moore@mailonline.co.uk
By CHARLIE MOORE
DAILYMAIL.COM
14 August 2018
At least 30 people have been killed ‘including a baby’ and dozens more are feared dead after a huge 260ft section of a highway bridge collapsed during a fierce storm in the Italian city of Genoa.
Cars fell hundreds of feet along with tonnes of twisted steel and concrete debris into a river, railroad tracks and an industrial zone below when the Morandi bridge gave way at 11.30am local time.
Officials feaar ‘dozens’ are dead in what is being described as ‘an immense tragedy.’ There are reports that a baby is among the victims and that two people died in their homes when the giant structure collapsed.
Amid ‘apocalyptic’ scenes, up to 35 cars and three heavy trucks cascaded into the valley below as they were making their way over the bridge. One witness said he saw the 50-year-old crossing ‘wobbling’ minutes before it gave way.
Rescuers desperately hunting for survivors are now fearful of explosions from damaged gas lines and some areas have been evacuated while safety checks take place.
Incredibly, two people have been pulled alive from cars found in the mangled ruins of the bridge while two warehouses below the structure were empty having been closed for the summer holiday.
Dramatic photos shows how a green truck had stopped just short of the gaping hole in the bridge, which was built on the A10 toll motorway in northwestern Italy in the 1960s. Work to shore up its foundations was being carried out at the time of the collapse, highway operators say.
The exact cause of the disaster, the latest in a string of bridge collapses in Italy, is not yet clear but Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said it showed the dilapidated state of the country’s infrastructure and a lack of maintenance, adding that ‘those responsible will have to pay.’
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