THE COLLAPSE of a motorway bridge in Italy has reportedly left ‘dozens’ of people dead.
A section of the Morandi Bridge, part of the A10 motorway in the northern city of Genoa near the city’s airport, collapsed at about 11am local time.
#14agosto il video del crollo di #PonteMorandi a #Genova Polcevera Morandi@VAIstradeanas @DPCgov @emergenzavvf @Viminale @ComunediGenova @StradeAnas pic.twitter.com/9viaWCfAcu
— Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) August 14, 2018
According to Italian news agency Adnkronos, emergency services chief Francesco Bermano said there were ‘dozens of dead’.
However he added that the full scale of the problem was not yet known.
The Italian Interior Ministry has said 11 people have so far lost their lives, according to news agency ANSA.
(Images: Polizia di Stato)Images and footage released by state police show a 100-metre section of the bridge collapsing following a violent storm.
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli tweeted to say he was following the developments but feared it would develop into an ‘immense tragedy’.
Sto seguendo con la massima apprensione ciò che è accaduto a #Genova e che si profila come immane tragedia. Siamo in stretto contatto con Autostrade e stiamo andando sul luogo con il viceministro Rixi. La mia totale vicinanza in queste ore alla città
— Danilo Toninelli (@DaniloToninelli) August 14, 2018
Restructuring work on the bridge, which was constructed in the 1960s, was carried out in 2016.
(Image: Polizia di Stato)