Italian Suspended Bridge Collapses Leaving 22 Dead; Dozens Injured

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Category: World News - Europe

Published on Tuesday, 14 August 2018 07:28

Written by Janet Walker

Nearly two dozen commuting motorists, were killed when a section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy collapsed in a sudden and violent storm sending motorists and chucks of falling debris crashing to the ground below.

"We are following minute by minute the situation of the bridge collapse in Genoa," Interior Minister Matteo Salvini wrote on Twitter.

Reports from Italy are still coming in and limited video from locals who happened to be near the scene show a large visible plume of dust as a large 650 foot section of the suspended bridge gave way snapping cables, pulling steel and tumbling to the industrial park below.

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Witnesses said a bolt of lightening had struck the bridge seconds before the collapse.

Initials reports indicated an expected death toll of at least ten, rescuers indicate that figure has doubled and includes at least one child. Portions of the twisted wreckage also landed on roofs of the apartment buildings adjacent to the industrial area.

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini posted a video of the disaster which shows the bridge still swaying in the heavy rain storm, with the catastrophic collapse bordering several industrial areas. The Morandi Bridge connects France and Italy. It does not cross open water.

As the roadway gave way, the vehicles plummeted, with the framework, steel, cables and large rectangle squares of concrete, girders all fell on top of the vehicles, trapping surviving motorists, causing one huge twisted mass of debris and death.

Rescuers have pulled two motorists from the wreckage and are focusing on finding survivors. The death toll has double from initial reports and may increase. From all reported accounts, 20 are dead, including one child, and dozens others injured.

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"The Morandi bridge, part of the A10 highway that connects Italy to France, collapsed over an industrial zone just after 12 p.m. local time," private broadcaster Sky TG24 said.

This is a developing story.