Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has declared a 12-month state of emergency in Genoa after the collapse of the Morandi Bridge. The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but several possibilities have been flagged.
Image: Imago/Xinhua/A. Lingria
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Work begins demolishing collapsed Genoa bridge
The Italian port city of Genoa has begun demolishing the Morandi Bridge after its collapse last August, which killed 43 people and injured dozens more. DW takes a look at the disaster and its aftermath.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Demolition begins
Experts have begun dismantling the remains of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, six months after its collapse. A 40-meter section of the motorway flyover was due to be cut, lowered and destroyed – an important step with "high symbolic value" for the town, according to Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Cars plunged into void
The 80-meter section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed on August 14 amid torrential downpours and violent storms. At least 35 cars and heavy vehicles are believed to have been on the section when it caved in, causing them to plunge some 45 meters.
Image: Reuters/Str
Rescuers toiled through the night
Rescue workers scoured the wreckage through the night in hopes of finding more survivors. Alongside firefighters and emergency services, some 1,000 locals volunteered to help with the rescue efforts.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/V. Hache
900-ton concrete slab
Thousands of tonnes of steel, concrete and asphalt have already been removed to prepare for the demolition, but the eight-hour operation on Friday will see a 900-ton slab cut and destroyed. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninello have traveled to Genoa to oversee the beginning of the operation.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Renzo Piano replacement
Italy's most famous living architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native widely known for the Pompidou Center in Paris, has designed the replacement bridge. It will feature 43 streetlamps in memory of the 43 killed in the collapse. At €202 million ($229 million), the bridge will be one of the most expensive in Europe. It is scheduled to open to traffic by April 2020.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Leoni
'Immense tragedy'
The bridge collapse killed 43 people and injured dozens more. Italy's transport minister Danilo Toninelli described the incident as an "immense tragedy." International leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, paid tribute to the victims.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Children among those killed
The morning after the collapse, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that three children – aged 8, 12 and 13 — were among those killed.
Image: Reuters/Str
Italy's busy motorway viaduct
The bridge over the northwestern port city was one of Italy's main viaducts, connecting the A10 motorway towards France and the A7 up to Milan. The incident also took place on the eve of Ferragosto, a major Italian holiday, meaning there was likely more traffic than usual.
Tragedy sparks political fallout
Italy's Giuseppe Conte interrupted his holiday to visit the scene of the collapse. While Conte reserved his words to praise the rescue workers, his ministers started pointing fingers. Transport Minister Toninelli said the company managing Italy's highways would have its contract revoked. However, his 5Star Movement party has been criticized for downplaying the need for infrastructure investments.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Cause of collapse still unknown
While the precise reason behind the disaster is still unknown, investigators believe it could have been caused by lightning, an engineering failure or corrosion. Prosecutors have place 20 people under investigation, as well as the privately-owned highway operator Autostrade per l'Italia. The bridge had been in use for around 50 years, close to the recommended limit.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
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Italian rescue workers in the city of Genoa continued to search through the rubble on Wednesday night, in hope of finding survivors of the Morandi bridge collapse.
It remains unclear what actually caused a 100-meter (328-foot) section of the massive structure, known as Genoa's "Brooklyn Bridge," to cave in. The bridge collapsed amid torrential rain on Tuesday, causing vehicles on the bridge to fall some 45 meters.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini did not speculate on how many people might still be trapped in the debris, but said that 1,000 rescue workers were taking part in the search for survivors.
Developments on Wednesday
The death toll has reached 39, according to authorities.
Sixteen people were injured, nine of whom are in serious condition.
Authorities evacuated 630 people from nearby apartments, due to concerns about the stability of the remaining large sections of the bridge.
Italy's transport minister called for senior managers at Autostrade per l'Italia, the company operating the bridge, to resign.
Autostrade per l'Italia said it carried out regular checks before the collapse that had provided reassuring results, and that the maintenance program had been approved by the Transport Ministry.
The transport minister said the company could face millions of euros in fines.
Work begins demolishing collapsed Genoa bridge
The Italian port city of Genoa has begun demolishing the Morandi Bridge after its collapse last August, which killed 43 people and injured dozens more. DW takes a look at the disaster and its aftermath.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Demolition begins
Experts have begun dismantling the remains of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, six months after its collapse. A 40-meter section of the motorway flyover was due to be cut, lowered and destroyed – an important step with "high symbolic value" for the town, according to Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Cars plunged into void
The 80-meter section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed on August 14 amid torrential downpours and violent storms. At least 35 cars and heavy vehicles are believed to have been on the section when it caved in, causing them to plunge some 45 meters.
Image: Reuters/Str
Rescuers toiled through the night
Rescue workers scoured the wreckage through the night in hopes of finding more survivors. Alongside firefighters and emergency services, some 1,000 locals volunteered to help with the rescue efforts.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/V. Hache
900-ton concrete slab
Thousands of tonnes of steel, concrete and asphalt have already been removed to prepare for the demolition, but the eight-hour operation on Friday will see a 900-ton slab cut and destroyed. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninello have traveled to Genoa to oversee the beginning of the operation.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Renzo Piano replacement
Italy's most famous living architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native widely known for the Pompidou Center in Paris, has designed the replacement bridge. It will feature 43 streetlamps in memory of the 43 killed in the collapse. At €202 million ($229 million), the bridge will be one of the most expensive in Europe. It is scheduled to open to traffic by April 2020.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Leoni
'Immense tragedy'
The bridge collapse killed 43 people and injured dozens more. Italy's transport minister Danilo Toninelli described the incident as an "immense tragedy." International leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, paid tribute to the victims.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Children among those killed
The morning after the collapse, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that three children – aged 8, 12 and 13 — were among those killed.
Image: Reuters/Str
Italy's busy motorway viaduct
The bridge over the northwestern port city was one of Italy's main viaducts, connecting the A10 motorway towards France and the A7 up to Milan. The incident also took place on the eve of Ferragosto, a major Italian holiday, meaning there was likely more traffic than usual.
Tragedy sparks political fallout
Italy's Giuseppe Conte interrupted his holiday to visit the scene of the collapse. While Conte reserved his words to praise the rescue workers, his ministers started pointing fingers. Transport Minister Toninelli said the company managing Italy's highways would have its contract revoked. However, his 5Star Movement party has been criticized for downplaying the need for infrastructure investments.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Cause of collapse still unknown
While the precise reason behind the disaster is still unknown, investigators believe it could have been caused by lightning, an engineering failure or corrosion. Prosecutors have place 20 people under investigation, as well as the privately-owned highway operator Autostrade per l'Italia. The bridge had been in use for around 50 years, close to the recommended limit.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
10 images1 | 10
'Unacceptable in a modern society'
Genoa Prosecutor Francesco Cozzi told reporters that the investigation into the collapse would focus on human error. In particular, any possible design flaws in the bridge's construction, and any inadequate maintenance will be examined.
Cozzi said he didn't know who might be responsible, but also added that the tragedy "wasn't an accident."
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called the tragedy "unacceptable in a modern society." He said that "all infrastructure" across the country needed to be double-checked. "We must not allow another tragedy like this to happen again," he added.
Italian Infrastructure and Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli blamed Autostrade per l'Italia, the private company that runs much of Italy's motorway network, for the incident.
The company was guilty of "serious shortcomings," and would have its concession to run the motorway network withdrawn and would face fines of up to €150 million ($170 million), Toninelli wrote on Facebook. Conte on Wednesday confirmed the government's intention to revoke the firm's contract.
Interior minister points finger at EU austerity
Meanwhile, Salvini blamed the European Union for making Italy unsafe. "Funds that would be spent on health and safety "are not allowed to be billed according to strict ... rules imposed by Europe," the euroskeptic politician told local broadcaster Radio24. "You always have to ask for permission to spend money," he added. He did not mention any particular European rules addressing how Italy keeps its roads safe.
President Sergio Mattarella echoed the calls for better conditions on Italian roads.
"Italians have the right to modern and efficient infrastructure that accompanies them safely through their everyday lives," Mattarella said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin were among the world leaders who sent their condolences.
The Morandi Bridge: The Morandi Bridge was designed by Riccardo Morandi and built in 1967. It was built using reinforced concrete which was the best-known technology at the time. It is one of Genoa's most important pieces of infrastructure, providing a link to the Italian Riviera and France's southern coast.
Why it happened: The cause of the collapse is still unknown, but some of the potential causes include a possible lightning strike due to the storm at the time of the collapse, an engineering failure, aging infrastructure and corrosion.
Concerns over infrastructure: Following the bridge's collapse, Italy's CNR civil engineering society said the working lifespan of bridges built during the 1950s and 1960s was only about 50 years. The Morandi Bridge has been in use for more than five decades.
The deadliest bridge and building collapses
Bridges and buildings can be architectural marvels, but also lead to deadly disasters. These dilapidated or botched constructions turned out to be fatal.
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Chirajara Bridge, Colombia
The Chirajara Bridge was intended to connect two tunnels between Bogota and Villavicencio. But as the two sections were being put together in January 2018 one of the pylons broke away, killing nine people. Investigators pointed to a construction error, which meant the other section was also in serious danger of collapsing. The bridge was ultimately blown up in July (pictured).
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Studenka Bridge, Czech Republic
Workers were renovating the Studenka Bridge in August 2008 when it suddenly collapsed. Just as it fell away, however, a speeding train was headed towards the scene of the accident. Traveling at 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph), the train plunged into rubble below. It remains unclear what exactly caused the collapse, but investigators have since found several faults in the construction.
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Mississippi Bridge, USA
The 580-meter (1900 feet), eight-lane bridge in Minneapolis was a crucial artery between two city districts. Renovation work began just days before the collapse on August 1, 2007. Even though just one lane was open at the time, 13 people were killed in the accident. Investigators said a construction error led to the bridge caving in.
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Sampoong Department Store, South Korea
It only took a matter of seconds for the Sampoong Department Store in Seoul to collapse in on itself on June 29, 1995, killing more than 500 people. A probe uncovered a spate of building violations: several regulations were ignored, the building was shoddily constructed and several of the wrong building materials were used.
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Rana Plaza, Bangladesh
The collapse of the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh's Dhaka District marks the deadliest structural failure in modern history. The eight-story commercial building collapsed on April 24, 2013, killing 1,135 people. A day before, police had banned access after cracks were found in the structure. However, garment workers were still ordered to return the following day and were caught in the disaster.
