Search for victims after part of Italian highway collapses

MILAN -- The Italian news agency ANSA says a raised highway has partially collapsed in the northern port city of Genoa. There was no immediate confirmation of deaths or injuries, but Italian media said rescuers were digging through rubble to try and find people in cars that fell through the collapsed section. Some agencies reported multiple deaths, but authorities have confirmed nothing about casualties.

ANSA said authorities suspected that a structural weakness caused the collapse on Tuesday. Italian media said the portion of highway that collapsed was about 200 yards long. Images tweeted by Italian police showed the highway through the city with a large section missing. Emergency vehicles were responding.

Violento nubifragio #Genova #crollo parte del viadotto Polcevera-Morandi Km 0,200 su autostrada A10
Uscita obbligatoria Genova aeroporto direzione Ventimiglia
Uscita obbligatoria bivio A10 con A7 direzione Genova @StradeAnas @DPCgov @emergenzavvf @Viminale @ComunediGenova pic.twitter.com/7YJINjFWRX
— Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) August 14, 2018

French news agency AFP said it was a portion of the four-decade old Morandi highway bridge that had collapsed. Italian fire services said the bridge, in an industrial area in west Genoa, fell down at 5 a.m. Eastern time.

A fire service spokesperson told AFP the bridge collapsed primarily onto rail tracks about 100 yards below and that "cars and trucks" had fallen with the rubble.

Witnesses told Sky Italia that they believed at least 10 vehicles were trapped under the rubble. Another video tweeted by the Italian state police showed part of the actual collapse in what appeared to be cell phone video.

Italy's government Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the collapse appeared to be "an immense tragedy," but he did not immediately confirm any casualties.

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