Genoa, Italy – A major bridge collapsed on a freeway leading to this north-western Italian city killing 26 and several people remain trapped in rubble underneath the Morandi bridge.
An official update provided by the regional government said rescuers had extracted two more dead people to bring the official toll to 26 dead. It said 23 people were killed on the spot when the Morandi Bridge on A10 Highway collapsed. One person died while being operated on and two people were extracted from rubble but they were dead.
15 remain in hospital with a variety of injuries, the official portal said on Twitter.
More than 330 rescuers are working at the scene of the collapse near a stream that runs underneath.
The Italian Red Cross said it has launched a major response to the disaster.
“Emergency Units, with special vehicles and technicians, have gathered from nearby regions as well as from Liguria territorial Units,” said the Red Cross.
“Dog search and rescue units” are being employed to find victims under the rubbles and Red Cross units have been embarked on police boats for rescue in the estuary of the river Polcevera. Psychological support units have also been deployed. The Italian Red Cross is taking part in the emergency coordination room of the national civic protection.
Several vehicles fell from the bridge. Some houses underneath were hit by slabs and steel from the large span that tumbled. One photo supplied by the Italian Emergency Response department shows a truck precariously perched on the broken section.
