Highway bridge collapse kills 22 in Italy

At least 22 people died Tuesday after a highway bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa collapsed during a sudden storm. A section of the Morandi Bridge fell over an industrial zone, sending cars plummeting nearly 150 feet. Amalia Tedeschi, a responding firefighter, told RAI state TV that about 20 vehicles were stuck under the rubble. Angelo Borrelli, head of the Italian civil protection agency, confirmed the casualties and said 13 others sustained injuries. Borrelli said responding highway engineers were checking the safety of other points of the bridge and evacuated some areas as a precaution. The Morandi Bridge is along the major highway connecting France and Milan. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said about 200 firefighters were on the scene. “We are following minute-by-minute the situation of the bridge collapse in Genoa,” Salvini posted on Twitter.