Bridge collapse in Italy kills more than 20

Media reports say the collapse of a section of a bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa has left more than twenty dead.

Italian authorities have given varying figures on the number of dead. Reuters quoted an Italian news agency as saying at least 35 people had died. The Associated Press reported 20 people had been killed and 16 injured.

The head of Italy's civil protection agency says between 30 and 35 cars and three heavy trucks were on the bridge 80 meters above the ground when it collapsed.

The discrepancy in statistics comes despite the fact that some of the victims of the accident were pulled alive from the rubble.

This bridge, which is more than a kilometer long, was built in the late 1960s.

The bridge, which was built on a major highway connecting Italy to France, collapsed, sending cars 150 feet (45 meters) into the air. Hundreds of firefighters were called to the scene to help the victims.

Source: Voice of America