'A failure of engineering': Death toll in Genoa, Italy bridge collapse rises to at least 39

Jane Onyanga-Omara | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Death toll rising in Italian bridge collapse A huge stretch of a highway bridge collapsed during a sudden storm in Genoa, Italy. Police report at least 20 cars were involved.

The death toll in the collapse of a highway bridge in the northwestern Italian city of Genoa rose to at least 39 on Wednesday, authorities said. At least two people are missing.

Many of the victims were found in vehicles crushed by the debris, Italian news agency ANSA reported. Dozens of vehicles plunged up to 180 feet when a 260-foot section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed during torrential rain Tuesday. Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said three children were among the dead.

Fifteen people were injured, including a woman who suffered smoke inhalation from a fire sparked by debris falling into her home and a Czech truck driver who suffered a chest injury, state radio reported. ANSA said five injured people remained in the hospital in serious condition.

The incident has raised questions about the safety of Italy's aging infrastructure.

Many local residents had said the bridge, built in 1967, needed shoring up. Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the private operator of the bridge must pay toward its reconstruction.

More: At least 20 killed as section of highway bridge collapses in Genoa, northwestern Italy

The 51-year-old bridge, which was considered innovative when it was built for having concrete around its cables, was overdue for an upgrade, especially since more traffic was using it than its designers anticipated. Antonio Brencich, of the University of Genoa, previously called the bridge "a failure of engineering."

Thirty-five cars and three heavy trucks were on the section of the bridge that collapsed, said Angelo Borrelli, head of Italy’s civil protection agency. Some ended up in the Polvecera River, ANSA reported.

The Morandi Bridge is a main thoroughfare connecting the A10 highway that goes toward France and the A7 highway that continues north toward Milan and the beaches of Liguria.

Engineering experts said corrosion and weather could have been factors in the bridge's collapse.

The Italian CNR civil engineering society said structures dating from when the Morandi Bridge was built had surpassed their lifespan, and called for a plan to repair or replace tens of thousands of bridges and viaducts built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Traffic on the bridge may have been heavier than usual because Italians are starting to celebrate the summer holiday known as Ferragosto that begins Wednesday. It represents the height of the season, and most city governments and businesses close as people head out to the beaches and mountains.

Contributing: The Associated Press