REPORTS have indicated that 35 people have died following the collapse of part of a motorway bridge in Genoa, Italy.

The 1km-long Morandi Bridge, part of the A10 motorway, collapsed just before noon during adverse weather.

The Italian news agency ANSA reports that the death toll is up to 35.

The latest update from state police is that at least 20 people have dead with 14 wounded, although they are unable to confirm if that is the total number of fatalities.

Around 200 firefighters are currently at the scene as rescue efforts continue.

Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli tweeted to say he was following the developments but feared it would develop into an ‘immense tragedy’.

The Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (Civil Protection Department) a national body that deals with exceptional events, has despatched a team to Genoa.

The bridge passes over the Polcevera River and is located between the districts of Sampierdarena and Cornigliano.

Restructuring work on the bridge, which was constructed in the 1960s, was carried out in 2016. </s> Part of a motorway viaduct in the northwestern Italian city of Genoa collapsed on Tuesday, the local fire brigade said, adding that several cars could have been involved in the accident.

Italian news agency Adnkronos, citing local ambulance services, reported that there were "dozens of dead" in the collapse.

What we know so far:
• Some 200 meters (656 feet) of road from Morandi Bridge collapsed onto an industrial zone in the port city at around 11:30 a.m. local time (0930 UTC).
• Rescue operations are underway to remove the rubble.
• Local police said the bridge collapsed during a severe downpour and violent storm.
• A bridge was constructed in 1960s as part of the A10 toll motorway. Restructuring was carried out in 2016.
• Authorities had no information regarding the number of potential victims.

Italy's Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the bridge collapse looked like an "immense tragedy."

Franco Nativo, a local journalist on the scene, told Italian broadcaster SkyTG24 that he could see "at least eight to nine" vehicles crushed under the rubble from the bridge. "It is an apocalyptic scene," Nativo added. </s> Rescuers at work amid the rubble after a highway bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy. A large section of the Morandi viaduct upon which the A10 motorway runs collapsed in Genoa on Tuesday. Several people have died, rescue sources said. Several vehicles were crushed under the rubble with dead people inside, the sources said.

A huge stretch of a highway bridge collapsed during a sudden storm in northwestern Italy on Tuesday, crushing vehicles. Authorities said that about 10 vehicles were involved.

The section of the Morandi bridge in the port city of Genoa collapsed amid torrential rain, Italy’s Ansa news agency reported. Italian media reported that deaths occurred, but a local police officer said the number of victims wasn't known.

Private broadcaster Sky TG24 reported that the 200-meter (660-foot) section fell over an industrial zone. Firefighters told The Associated Press there are concerns about gas lines.

Video captured the sound of a man screaming: "Oh god, oh, god." Other images showed a green truck that had stopped on the bridge yards short of a gaping hole.

At least two people were pulled out of the rubble alive and have been taken to the hospital, Ansa reported.

The 330-foot tall bridge was built in the 1960s, the BBC reported. It runs over homes, shopping centers, factories, a railway line and a river, according to Ansa. </s> A large section of the Morandi viaduct upon which the A10 motorway runs collapsed in Genoa, Italy. </s> A series of controlled explosions have seen the remains of a collapsed viaduct in northern Italy go up in a puff of dust, clearing the city of a painful reminder of the tragic collapse that killed 43 people.

The two towers of the 1.2 kilometer-long Morandi motorway bridge in the northern Italian port town of Genoa were brought down in only six seconds.

The footage of the controlled demolition shows cannons shooting water over the steel and concrete structure the moment the explosives went off to prevent the dust clouds from covering the city. The demolition was followed by applause from those who flocked to witness authorities finally wiping the tragic reminder away from Genoa’s conscience.

The bridge used to connect the city with southern France. A section of it collapsed in August 2018 due to heavy rain. The collapse sent dozens of cars tumbling some 50 metres to the ground. Dozens died in the tragedy and many more were injured. It also made access to Genoa’s busy sea port rather more difficult, with travelers having to spend hours on a detour since the collapse.

Earlier this week Italy’s Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli laid the first stone of a new viaduct that will replace the now-demolished one. </s> A bridge on a main highway between Italy and France collapsed Tuesday in the Italian city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging 80 meters (262 feet) into a heap of rubble below.Amalia Tedeschi, a firefighter, told RAI state TV that some 20 vehicles had been involved in the collapse. She said two people had been pulled alive from vehicles in the rubble that fell into an industrial area below the bridge and were being transported by helicopter to a hospital.Italian news agency ANSA citing Interior Ministry said 20 people have died and 13 are injured.The private broadcaster Sky TG24 said a 200-meter (over 650-foot) section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed over an industrial zone. Firefighters told The Associated Press they were worried about gas lines exploding in the area from the collapse.Photos published by ANSA on its website showed a huge gulf between two sections of the bridge.Video captured the sound of a man screaming: "Oh God! Oh, God!" Other images showed a green truck that had stopped just short of the gaping hole in the bridge. The tires of a tractor trailor could be seen in the rubble.Italy's transport minister, Danilo Toninelli, called the collapse "an enormous tragedy."Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said some 200 firefighters were responding to the accident."We are following minute by minute the situation of the bridge collapse in Genoa," Salvini said on Twitter.The disaster occurred on a highway that connects Italy to France and other vacation resorts on the eve of a major Italian holiday on Wednesday, Ferragosto. Traffic would have been heavier than usual as many Italians traveled to beaches or mountains.The Morandi Bridge is a main thoroughfare connecting the A10 highway that goes toward France and the A7 highway that continues north toward Milan. Inaugurated in 1967, it is 90 meters (295 feet) high, just over a kilometer (.6 miles) long, with the longest section between supports measuring 200 meters (over 650 feet).ANSA said authorities suspected that a structural weakness caused the collapse on Tuesday. </s> At least 22 people died on Tuesday after a motorway bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy. As per latest reports, the death toll can significantly increase as the authorities continue to carry out search and rescue operations at the incident site. Italian Deputy Transport Minister Edoardo Rixi lamented the loss of lives due to poor construction of the bridge and said that it is an important bridge in the city and such collapse of it is not acceptable.

Earlier in the day at around 11:30 am (local time), the central section of the bridge collapsed and fell down from a height of at least 50 metres. The broken section fell over a river and some railroad tracks and buildings. According to the local fire brigade, the reason for the collapse was heavy torrential rainfall in the area.

There was heavy traffic on the bridge when the incident happened and all the vehicles that were moving on the 80-metre-long central section suffered dearly when it collapsed suddenly. When the ambulance service arrived at the spot, one of its officials said that there are dozens feared dead.

Initial reports suggested at least 10 people dead and involvement of 20 vehicles in the accident but now it is being reported that the number of fatalities and crashed vehicles can be far greater. Train services around Genoa have been suspended for time being.

The bridge, which is 1.2 km long, was built on the A10 toll motorway in the 1960s and it underwent renovations in 2016. The highway is a major artery to the Italian Riviera and to France’s southern coast. </s> Rome [Italy], June 29 (ANI): The two remaining towers of Morandi Bridge in central Genoa were blown up in a controlled explosion on Friday, nearly a year after the structure collapsed in a disaster killing 43 people.

Demolition experts brought down the two remaining towers of the highway bridge in dramatic fashion just after 9:30 a.m. (local time), preparing for reconstruction of the grim structure, CNN reported.

Authorities here at the dawn on Friday, evacuated around 3,500 residents in the area to avoid potential contamination, The New York Times reported.

"To my knowledge, it is the first time that this kind of work has been done in so little time and in a city centre, at least in Italy," said Vittorio Omini, a demolition expert.

The lethal collapse last year in August became subject of a criminal inquiry. Nearly 600 people, residing close to the bridge, lost their homes in the collapse and were relocated with the financial support of 'Autostrade per l'Italia' (Highways for Italy), the private company that operated the bridge.

"We couldn't wait for this day to come," said Yosanda Lala, a co-owner of a pizzeria near the so-called red zone, the blocks of apartment buildings adjacent to the bridge, many of which have been partly demolished.

He said, "We can't even deliver our pizza to the customers on the other side of the river," adding, "It takes over an hour to get there."

Residents and shopkeepers told The New York Times that the demolition would be just the first step in a long process of returning to normalcy.

Friday's explosion was attended by Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini. Residents and shopkeepers said the demolition would be just the first step in a long process of returning to normalcy.

Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge was a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwestern Italy to France, across the Polcevera river in central Genoa. It was one of the busiest bridges in the country, carrying freight and tourists to and from the port city. (ANI) </s> Demolition experts brought down the two remaining towers of the highway bridge in dramatic fashion just after 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET), making way for a new structure to be built on the site.

4,000 people were evacuated from their homes to clear the area, AFP reported, and explosives were attached to the legs and body of the bridge, which went down in about seven seconds in a flurry of smoke.

Water tanks were on hand to prevent the spread of dust after the explosion.

Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, attended the explosion, and crowds of locals watched from a safe distance.

For 10 months, the remains of the structure have stood awkwardly on the outskirts of Italy's sixth-largest city, a painful reminder of tragedy for thousands of its residents. The concrete viaduct collapsed in torrential rain in August 2018 after its cable stays gave way, throwing vehicles to the ground and killing scores of travelers. A picture taken on August 14, 2018 after the bridge collapsed. The incident shocked Italy and prompted a fierce debate about the safety of the country's infrastructure. Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge was a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwestern Italy to France, across the Polcevera river in central Genoa. It was one of the busiest bridges in the country, carrying freight and tourists to and from the port city.
The Ponte Morandi viaduct collapses on the A10 motorway in Genoa, Italy. 38 people are confirmed dead, 16 others are seriously injured, 5 are missing and 632 displaced. 35 cars and three heavy vehicles are involved in the accident. Several homes are also damaged and people inside them also injured.