Death toll in Genoa’s bridge collapse rises to 31 as rescue continues

GENOA, Italy, Aug. 15 — At least 31 people died in Tuesday’s collapse of a motorway bridge in Genoa, northwestern Italy, as search and rescue continued on Wednesday.
The victims include three minors, aged 8, 12 and 13, according to Ansa news agency citing sources from the Interior Ministry.
Some 16 people were wounded and brought to three hospitals in the city, at least 12 of whom were in serious condition.
One survivor died later during the surgery, and two victims were pulled out from rubble late Tuesday, according to regional authorities.
Rescuers kept searching for possible survivors all through the night. The chance of finding anyone alive under the massive concrete debris of the bridge is slim, say authorities.
At least 10 people were reported as missing by early Wednesday.
A special emergency team of 36 specialists was set up to provide psychological support to survivors and those who lost their beloved ones in the incident, the Italian Red Cross tweeted.
The collapse concerned a portion of about 100 meters of the “Morandi Bridge,” a major viaduct connecting the highway A10 and Genoa west to the eastern part of the city.
A central portion of about 100 meters in the 1,182 meter-long viaduct caved in over an area of commercial and industrial buildings when the city was slashed by heavy rainfall.
Between 30 and 35 cars and at least three heavy trucks were passing through the bridge when it collapsed. They fell some 50 meters down.
Some 300 firefighters and 400 police and civil service officers reached the scene, the civil protection agency said Tuesday.
The agency was coordinating all rescue efforts, saying in a statement that the death toll was “still provisional and in constant update.”
Most of the 432 people evacuated from 11 buildings within the area for security reasons were looked after by relatives and friends, the agency said.
Wednesday marked the first of two days’ mourning declared by the municipality of Genoa, and the Liguria region.
The bridge is believed to have collapsed due to structural problems. Built in the 1960s, it has been under extensive renovation since 2016. – XINHUA