Funerals for victims of Genoa’s bridge collapse held

Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte led mourners at the ceremony  of the state funeral for the victims of Genoa’s Bridge Collapse.

The funeral was held in a pavilion of the Fair where the burning room of the victims had been set up, whose family members accepted the public ceremony (twenty chose private funeral services).

At the Mass, celebrated by the archbishop of the city, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, the emergency service members and police were welcomed to the ceremony with applause.

“The collapse of the bridge was a gash in the heart of Genoa, it’s a deep wound,” the archbishop said in his homily.

“A sorrow shared by all of Italy, It is a tragedy that has involved so many, all of our country.It is an unacceptable tragedy” President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella

However, some of the victims’ families boycotted the mass and held their own private services in mounting anger against the state, who they see as failing to oversee the safety of the privately run bridge.

Genoa and Sampdoria  players arrived together with the funeral of the victims of the collapse of the Morandi bridge. They entered the pavilion of the Fiera di Genova, where Cardinal Bagnasco will officiate the ceremony, walking nearby. There are the presidents Ferrero and Preziosi and the coaches Ballardini and Giampaolo. The Sampdoria-Fiorentina and Milan-Genoa matches have been postponed for mourning. The arrival of the teams was greeted by a long applause.

The number of victims rises to 43. The car on which the Cecala family, father Cristian, mother Dawna and little Kristal, aged 9, was recovered by the fire brigade under the rubble of the Morandi bridge in Genoa.

The car was detected in the night, completely crushed, under a large block of cement that was part of the pylon of the collapsed structure near the left bank of the Polcevera. Also identified the body of another of the missing victims. And the lifeless body of Mirko Vicini, the last missing of the Morandi bridge collapse was found.

One of the wounded died at the San Martino hospital.

This is Marian Rosca, a 36-year-old Romanian driver . The victims of the collapse are 43.

As mourners gathered in Genoa to commemorate the lives of those who died when Morandi bridge collapsed on Tuesday, bridge operator Autostrade per l’Italia promised to setup a compensation fund for victims and their families.

Speaking at their first news conference since the disaster on Saturday, Autostrade Chairman Fabio Cerchiai and Chief Executive Giovanni Castellucci said €500 million would also be earmarked to help the port city rebuild.

But when asked if they would apologise for the disaster, Castellucci responded: “Apologies and responsibilities are things that are connected. You apologise if you feel you are responsible”. Mourners in Italy gathered at a state funeral on Saturday to commemorate some of the victims who died in Genoa. (Euronews)