GENOA: Rescuers in the north-western Italian city of Genoa continue to search for possible survivors after the dramatic collapse of a motorway bridge.
The interior minister said at least 37 people were killed when dozens of vehicles fell 45m (148ft).
About 16 people were injured in the collapse and the number missing ranges from four to 12. About 250 firefighters from across Italy are taking part in the search, using sniffer dogs and climbing gear.
“We’re not giving up hope,” fire official Emanuele Giffi told AFP news agency, vowing teams would work “round the clock until the last victim is secured”. More than 400 people have been evacuated amid fears other parts of the bridge might fall.
The cause of the disaster, which occurred during torrential rain, was not immediately clear but questions had been raised about the safety of the structure. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to bring anyone responsible for the collapse to book.
The Morandi Bridge, built in the 1960s, stands on the A10 toll motorway, an important conduit for goods traffic from local ports, which also serves the Italian Riviera and southern coast of France.
Genoa police spokesperson Alessandra Bucci told Reuters it was thought that people were still alive.
Mr Salvini said three children, aged eight, 12 and 13 were among the dead.
The Italian fire service tweeted a video of one person being extracted and carefully lowered on cables from a shattered vehicle, which was suspended in the wreckage of the bridge, high above the ground.
