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| Italy Bridge Collapse Leaves at Least 20 Dead | Italy Bridge Collapse Leaves at Least 20 Dead |
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| GENOA, Italy — A bridge in the heart of Genoa collapsed on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people as dozens of vehicles and tons of concrete and steel plunged onto city streets below in a disaster that raised concerns about Italy’s aging infrastructure. | GENOA, Italy — A bridge in the heart of Genoa collapsed on Tuesday, killing at least 20 people as dozens of vehicles and tons of concrete and steel plunged onto city streets below in a disaster that raised concerns about Italy’s aging infrastructure. |
| “The image is truly apocalyptic,” Matteo Pucciarelli, a journalist reporting on the disaster, told the newspaper La Repubblica. “It’s as if a bomb had fallen on this very important artery.” | “The image is truly apocalyptic,” Matteo Pucciarelli, a journalist reporting on the disaster, told the newspaper La Repubblica. “It’s as if a bomb had fallen on this very important artery.” |
| The highway bridge fell by as much as 148 feet just before noon, taking about three dozen cars and three trucks with it, according to Angelo Borrelli, chief of the Civil Protection Department. | The highway bridge fell by as much as 148 feet just before noon, taking about three dozen cars and three trucks with it, according to Angelo Borrelli, chief of the Civil Protection Department. |
| With the nation riveted by news coverage, and by photos and videos shared on social media, the calamity presented the first real test of Italy’s new government, a coalition of populist parties that was formed only months ago. They rode to power on a wave of anti-establishment anger, but the coalition is led by people who had little to no experience governing, and now must demonstrate that they can manage a crisis and the scrutiny that comes with it. | With the nation riveted by news coverage, and by photos and videos shared on social media, the calamity presented the first real test of Italy’s new government, a coalition of populist parties that was formed only months ago. They rode to power on a wave of anti-establishment anger, but the coalition is led by people who had little to no experience governing, and now must demonstrate that they can manage a crisis and the scrutiny that comes with it. |
| Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte traveled to Genoa to visit the scene of the disaster. The office of the city’s public prosecutor said it would open a criminal inquiry, examining whether the collapse was caused by negligence, and federal authorities indicated that they would investigate, too. | |
| Danilo Toninelli, the national transportation minister, said on Tuesday that the government had been “given a mandate” to repair infrastructure, including bridges. | Danilo Toninelli, the national transportation minister, said on Tuesday that the government had been “given a mandate” to repair infrastructure, including bridges. |
| “Many need ordinary maintenance,” he told the state broadcaster, Rai News, “to avoid tragedies of this kind.” | |
| He said the government would instruct every relevant national agency to examine Italy’s infrastructure and verify its safety — a practical and financial challenge, as well as a political one. | He said the government would instruct every relevant national agency to examine Italy’s infrastructure and verify its safety — a practical and financial challenge, as well as a political one. |
| “An immense task,” he said, “because many viaducts, galleries and bridges were built during the 1950s and 1960s” and were showing signs of their age. “This is what Italy needs to do, now,” he added. | “An immense task,” he said, “because many viaducts, galleries and bridges were built during the 1950s and 1960s” and were showing signs of their age. “This is what Italy needs to do, now,” he added. |
| The national government said that 20 people were confirmed dead in the collapse of the 51-year-old bridge, while the regional government of Liguria said 22 had been killed, but officials warned that the number was likely to rise. Officials said that at least 13 other people were known to be injured, five of them seriously. | The national government said that 20 people were confirmed dead in the collapse of the 51-year-old bridge, while the regional government of Liguria said 22 had been killed, but officials warned that the number was likely to rise. Officials said that at least 13 other people were known to be injured, five of them seriously. |
| “All the rubble must be moved,” Mr. Borrelli said, to ensure that any vehicles crushed beneath the wreckage were found. | “All the rubble must be moved,” Mr. Borrelli said, to ensure that any vehicles crushed beneath the wreckage were found. |
| The national police noted that there was a “violent cloudburst” at about the time the section fell, and some witnesses said the bridge was struck by lightning just before it collapsed, though it was not clear whether the storm contributed to the failure. | The national police noted that there was a “violent cloudburst” at about the time the section fell, and some witnesses said the bridge was struck by lightning just before it collapsed, though it was not clear whether the storm contributed to the failure. |
| But Edoardo Rixi, the deputy transportation minister, said that the bridge had shown some “signs of problems” in the past. He did not elaborate. | But Edoardo Rixi, the deputy transportation minister, said that the bridge had shown some “signs of problems” in the past. He did not elaborate. |
| “A bridge like that doesn’t collapse because of a lightning bolt, or a storm,” he said. “Those who are responsible must be found.” | “A bridge like that doesn’t collapse because of a lightning bolt, or a storm,” he said. “Those who are responsible must be found.” |
| Mr. Rixi said the entire bridge would be demolished, “with serious repercussions on traffic, and problems for citizens and companies.” | Mr. Rixi said the entire bridge would be demolished, “with serious repercussions on traffic, and problems for citizens and companies.” |
| “I saw the bridge collapse in front of my eyes; the debris from the collapse landed 20 meters away from my car,” Davide Ricci, who was driving along the bank of the Polcevera River, told the Genoese newspaper Il Secolo XIX. “It felt as if electricity was traveling from above downward, as if one of the beams had been struck by lightning.” | |
| One motorist, Corrado Cusano, told Rai News that he had just driven over the bridge when “I turned around and saw the bridge collapsing.” | |
| “We were stuck in traffic,” he said. “There was a long line of cars, and I only saw the bridge collapsing behind me and then I couldn’t see any cars anymore.” | “We were stuck in traffic,” he said. “There was a long line of cars, and I only saw the bridge collapsing behind me and then I couldn’t see any cars anymore.” |
| A stretch of the road estimated by some witnesses to be long as 100 meters, or about 330 feet, fell to earth in a massive dust cloud, and many photographs and videos posted online captured the scene. Remarkably, some of the people driving on the bridge walked away unharmed. | A stretch of the road estimated by some witnesses to be long as 100 meters, or about 330 feet, fell to earth in a massive dust cloud, and many photographs and videos posted online captured the scene. Remarkably, some of the people driving on the bridge walked away unharmed. |
| “I am a miracle,” one of them, Davide Capello, told the Turin newspaper La Stampa. He said he was driving to the city when “I heard a noise first and everything collapsed.” His car fell and came to rest wedged between massive pieces of debris, yet somehow he was unhurt. | |
| The bridge collapse occurred over a heavily populated area. | The bridge collapse occurred over a heavily populated area. |
| “I heard a loud noise, a sort of roar — strange, to be honest,” Marco Alloisio told the online news portal IVG.it. “I looked out of the window of my home and saw the bridge collapse all of a sudden, with all the vehicles traveling on it.” | “I heard a loud noise, a sort of roar — strange, to be honest,” Marco Alloisio told the online news portal IVG.it. “I looked out of the window of my home and saw the bridge collapse all of a sudden, with all the vehicles traveling on it.” |
| He added: “I thought I was hallucinating or something similar, but that wasn’t the case. It’s an image that I will never forget.” | |
| Cars and trucks had been abandoned on the road, just short of the precipice, as their occupants had fled on foot. | Cars and trucks had been abandoned on the road, just short of the precipice, as their occupants had fled on foot. |
| Jagged chunks of debris the size of houses protruded at sharp angles from a riverbed, and huge pieces of the road, still partly propped up by support pillars, were left dangling. The scene was strewn with cars and trucks that had been damaged in the collapse, while rescue workers struggled in a driving rain to reach anyone who might be trapped. | Jagged chunks of debris the size of houses protruded at sharp angles from a riverbed, and huge pieces of the road, still partly propped up by support pillars, were left dangling. The scene was strewn with cars and trucks that had been damaged in the collapse, while rescue workers struggled in a driving rain to reach anyone who might be trapped. |
| Firefighters with rescue baskets were hoisted by cranes onto the piled wreckage to pull people from the rubble. Others loaded the injured into paramedic helicopters, or picked their way across the mounds of debris with dogs trained to sniff and listen for people. | Firefighters with rescue baskets were hoisted by cranes onto the piled wreckage to pull people from the rubble. Others loaded the injured into paramedic helicopters, or picked their way across the mounds of debris with dogs trained to sniff and listen for people. |
| Still others used power tools to cut their way through blocks of concrete and steel reinforcement to reach victims. In all, more than 240 firefighters took part in the rescue efforts, officials said. | Still others used power tools to cut their way through blocks of concrete and steel reinforcement to reach victims. In all, more than 240 firefighters took part in the rescue efforts, officials said. |
| “I drive on that bridge four times a day and I know that they do maintenance work on that bridge every single night,” said Edoardo Serra, a pharmacist in Genoa who was due to go back into the city center an hour after the bridge collapsed. “They normally closed one direction to traffic and allowed double circulation on the other.” | “I drive on that bridge four times a day and I know that they do maintenance work on that bridge every single night,” said Edoardo Serra, a pharmacist in Genoa who was due to go back into the city center an hour after the bridge collapsed. “They normally closed one direction to traffic and allowed double circulation on the other.” |
| The span is known as the Morandi Bridge, for the renowned engineer who designed it, Riccardo Morandi, who died in 1989. Like many of his signature structures, the bridge, which opened in 1967, was built of reinforced concrete. Local news media reported that it had been under repair, though the nature of that work was not immediately clear. | The span is known as the Morandi Bridge, for the renowned engineer who designed it, Riccardo Morandi, who died in 1989. Like many of his signature structures, the bridge, which opened in 1967, was built of reinforced concrete. Local news media reported that it had been under repair, though the nature of that work was not immediately clear. |
| “It was a bold structure, designed for a volume of traffic that was much lower than it is today,” said Diego Zoppi, a Genoese architect and member of the national council of architects. The bridge, he said, required constant maintenance because it was an essential traffic hub for the city, connecting Genoa’s eastern and western suburbs with highways to major cities in the north, like Milan. | “It was a bold structure, designed for a volume of traffic that was much lower than it is today,” said Diego Zoppi, a Genoese architect and member of the national council of architects. The bridge, he said, required constant maintenance because it was an essential traffic hub for the city, connecting Genoa’s eastern and western suburbs with highways to major cities in the north, like Milan. |
| It was too soon to know why the bridge had collapsed, he added. “Certainly it was subject to wear and tear, because of the traffic,” which had increased significantly since the 1960s. | It was too soon to know why the bridge had collapsed, he added. “Certainly it was subject to wear and tear, because of the traffic,” which had increased significantly since the 1960s. |
| “The problem is that concrete represented for decades a kind of idea of faith in progress, but now it is showing signs of deterioration, so cities have to upgrade their infrastructures — otherwise these tragedies are destined to repeat themselves,” he said. | “The problem is that concrete represented for decades a kind of idea of faith in progress, but now it is showing signs of deterioration, so cities have to upgrade their infrastructures — otherwise these tragedies are destined to repeat themselves,” he said. |
| Mr. Morandi designed several major bridges using similar designs and materials, primarily in Italy but also in Libya, Colombia, Ecuador and elsewhere. | Mr. Morandi designed several major bridges using similar designs and materials, primarily in Italy but also in Libya, Colombia, Ecuador and elsewhere. |
| Giacomo Giampedrone, a councilor for civil protection and infrastructure in Liguria, the region that includes Genoa, said in a telephone interview that the bridge and its maintenance were the responsibility of Autostrade per l’Italia, a highway operator controlled by Atlantia, an Italian holding company whose main shareholder is the Benetton family. | Giacomo Giampedrone, a councilor for civil protection and infrastructure in Liguria, the region that includes Genoa, said in a telephone interview that the bridge and its maintenance were the responsibility of Autostrade per l’Italia, a highway operator controlled by Atlantia, an Italian holding company whose main shareholder is the Benetton family. |
| Autostrade per l’Italia and Atlantia did not respond to emails requesting comment, and their media offices were closed on Tuesday. Atlantia shares fell by 5.39 percent on the Milan stock market on Tuesday. | Autostrade per l’Italia and Atlantia did not respond to emails requesting comment, and their media offices were closed on Tuesday. Atlantia shares fell by 5.39 percent on the Milan stock market on Tuesday. |
| Autostrade’s director for the area of Genoa, Stefano Marigliani, told the Italian news agency ANSA that the collapse of the bridge “was unexpected and sudden with respect to the monitoring that the bridge was subject to. There was no forewarning,” he said. | Autostrade’s director for the area of Genoa, Stefano Marigliani, told the Italian news agency ANSA that the collapse of the bridge “was unexpected and sudden with respect to the monitoring that the bridge was subject to. There was no forewarning,” he said. |
| The bridge carried the A10 highway — a major east-west artery through the port city that extends west along the coastline to the border with France — across the Polcevera River. It was one of two just major highway bridges that go over that waterway, in the western part of the city, and officials warned that the loss of the crossing could significantly affect the movement of people and goods. | |
| A spokesman for the civil protection agency in Liguria said the collapse had missed some nearby houses but had crushed part of a warehouse belonging to the city’s garbage collection agency. I t was unclear whether anyone had been inside. |