The Ligurian city of Genoa on Monday
market the fifth anniversary of the collapse of the Morandi road
bridge in which 43 people lost their lives.
The disaster remains an "open wound", said Liguria Governor
Giovanni Toti as the names of the victims were published on a
big screen in front of the region's headquarters.
The anniversary of the collapse of the viaduct over the
Polcevera river on August 14, 2018, was marked with a memorial
ceremony attended by local and national institutional
representatives and religious leaders, including Infrastructure
Minister Matteo Salvini.
"On the fifth anniversary of the collapse, with its tragic loss
of human life, the deep wound inflicted on the city of Genoa and
on the conscience of all Italians, the Republic renews and
strengthens its feelings of closeness and solidarity with the
families of the victims and with all those who have seen their
lives disrupted by a catastrophe as serious as it is
unacceptable," said President Sergio Mattarella in a message.
"The collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa represented a
dramatic reminder of the responsibilities of public service
providers, both those on the ground in delivery to users and
those responsible for ensuring that the necessary safety
conditions are in place," he continued.
In total, 59 people have been put on trial in relation to the
bridge collapse, including the former heads and technical
officials of highways company Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI) and
its maintenance arm SPEA, former and current transport ministry
managers and other civil servants.
The charges range from culpable failure to comply with one's
duty for workplace safety to multiple culpable homicide.
The prosecution says that many of the defendants knew that the
motorway viaduct could collapse but did nothing to prevent this
from happening.
ASPI and SPEA are no longer involved in the criminal trial after
a plea bargain to pay damages of around 30 million euros.
The remains of the Morandi bridge were demolished and another
viaduct designed by Genoese architect Renzo Piano opened in
August 2020 to take its place.
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