The collapsed Genoa bridge that left 43 people dead will take just eight months to rebuild, its operator has said.

Giovanni Castellucci, the chief executive of Autostrade per L'Italia, also said the new bridge would be made of steel.

The firm is responsible for the collapsed Morandi Bridge and has come under heavy criticism since the tragedy on Tuesday.

Mr Castellucci told reporters: "We hope that the speed of the reconstruction can also be a sign of the speed with which the city of Genoa is rising up again."

Autostrade per l'Italia, which runs nearly half of Italy's motorway network, has set aside €500m (£448m) to rebuild the structure and aid the port city in its recovery from the disaster.


This includes a fund for the "immediate requirements" of the victims' families.

There will also be provisions for those forced to move from their homes when the remainder of the collapsed bridge is demolished.

Sky News' Europe correspondent Mark Stone asked Mr Castellucci if he accepted responsibility for the disaster - and whether he would apologise for the bridge coming down.

The chief executive replied: "I would say that apologies and responsibilities are interconnected. Of course, you apologise if you feel responsible."

He added: "I believe that the technical situation is so complex that it is up to the justice [system] to understand what happened.

"We will do whatever we can to help justice go fast and deep.

"This is the only thing that we can give to the justice system."

Here’s a lady who sums up, so well, the mood in #Genoa right now. Anyone could have been on the #Morandi bridge. pic.twitter.com/e1tuCGBDJZ — Mark Stone (@Stone_SkyNews) August 18, 2018

Stone added that members of the community have claimed they told Autostrade per L'Italia and the local government that the bridge was not safe.

Mr Castellucci replied: "The bridge was a very specific bridge, but was considered by all the people you mentioned as safe."

Shares in Atlantia, Autostrade's holding company, plummeted last week after the government said it would seek to revoke its lucrative motorway contracts.

Mr Castellucci spoke on Saturday as the victims of 19 families agreed to have the funerals of their loved one at Genoa's trade and convention centre.

Touching tribute to rescuers at Genoa funeral

Others refused as they blamed the previous government for failing to ensure the bridge was safe.

Genoa's Catholic archbishop Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco said the city has "had its heart torn out" as he led the funeral service.

Four more bodies were discovered in the rubble by rescuers on Saturday, bringing the total dead to 43.

Image: Rescue workers can be seen next to a large section of the fallen motorway

A family of three - two parents and their nine-year-old daughter - were found overnight in their Hyundai car which had been crushed by a concrete block, the ANSA news agency reported.

Another body was pulled out of the rubble with reports describing him as 30-year-old man.

Meanwhile, Romanian man Marian Rosca, who was injured in the collapse, died in hospital.