The Ponte Morandi, on the A10 motorway at Genova, collapsed at around 12 on 14 August, sweeping away cars and also striking residential buildings: there are dozens of victims, with rescue teams working to free the injured.
Update 15 August, 4pm – The collapse of the central section of the Ponte Morandi on the A10 motorway in Genoa is reported to have caused 39 fatalities, including three children, according to the latest figures from the Genoa Prefecture. The injured are said to number 16, of whom 12 are in serious condition, and more than 600 people have been evacuated due to the risk of further collapses — there are fears that the remaining standing pylon of the bridge could also give way. Excavation beneath the rubble in search of missing persons continues.
The government announced that a national day of mourning will be declared, and the Liguria Region has requested the recognition of a state of emergency. The Genoa public prosecutor's office has opened an investigation for culpable disaster and multiple manslaughter: it was not an "act of fate" that caused the bridge to collapse, according to a statement by Francesco Cozzi, the chief prosecutor. The task of the investigation is now to establish "why it happened" and "why it happened at that particular moment". According to government figures including deputy prime ministers Luigi Di Maio and Matteo Salvini, and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli, the responsibility lies with Autostrade, the company that manages the affected stretch of motorway.
Update 14 August, 7pm – Part of the Ponte Morandi in Genoa, on the A10 motorway linking the Ligurian capital with Savona, collapsed on 14 August at around 12pm, involving several cars and also crashing down onto some of the adjacent residential buildings. Fire brigade teams are operating in force; usar teams and dog units have also been deployed: the confirmed death toll currently stands at around twenty, according to Civil Protection, "but no one rules out that the number could rise, as operations are still under way. Excavation will continue until we are certain there is no one left beneath the rubble," stated Luigi D'Angelo, head of the Emergency Office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKbTBb1ABpo&feature=youtu.be In any case, the Fire Brigade is reported to have already recovered 32 bodies. Several residential buildings not directly struck by the collapse have nonetheless been evacuated, in order to cordon off the area and prevent the risk of further collapses.
Autostrade per l'Italia has announced that the stretch between the junction for the A7 Milan–Genoa motorway and Genoa Airport, in both directions, has had to be closed, and that traffic within the closed section is at a standstill with queues. The comment from Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli was one of dismay: "I am following with the utmost concern what has happened in Genoa and what is shaping up to be an immense tragedy. My wholehearted solidarity in these hours goes to the city." In the late afternoon, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte travelled to Genoa, to the scene of the tragedy, "to directly oversee the coordination of operations on the ground and to bring the solidarity of the entire Government to the victims of this tragedy and their families. I thank the emergency response services which, as always, have mobilised promptly and continue to operate with great humanity and professionalism."
