Genoa bridge collapse survivors recall terror

Survivors of the Italian bridge collapse have described the moment the road fell away beneath them.

Davide Capello said he was driving across the bridge on Tuesday when “I heard a heavy sound, and I saw cars in front of me falling”.

He added: “I saw the road collapse then I fell with them. I thought it was all over for me.”

But he said he suffered only minor injuries because his car fell between concrete blocks that formed a sort of protection from further damage.

A French woman identified only as Leonine said she was travelling across the bridge with her husband and three-year-old son at the time of the collapse.

She said: “We saw the pylon go completely to the right, and we realised what was happening.”

They tried to reverse the car, then “opened our doors, took our son out of his car seat and then left, running until the tunnel”.

Meanwhile, rescuers are continuing the search for anyone still trapped under the rubble.

Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini declined to say how many people are feared missing, because a number of those involved were on holiday and so were not expected to return to their homes.

He said he hopes the number still buried is small, adding “miracles are still possible”.

At least 39 people were killed in Tuesday’s collapse.

The investigation into the tragedy is focusing on potential design and maintenance flaws.