Remaining parts of collapsed Italian bridge demolished
Famed Genoese architect Renzo Piano has designed a new bridge.
A spectacular controlled explosion has brought down the remaining spans and supporting pillars of the Italian bridge that collapsed last year with the loss of 43 lives.
The blast in Genoa triggered a huge cloud of grey dust as the pillars and roadway leaned inwards, then crumbled like a sandcastle.
Minutes before the blast, sirens sounded a final warning.
Other homes, directly beneath one of the bridge’s spans, had been evacuated immediately after the collapse on August 14 last year. Those apartment buildings will be eliminated as part of the replacement bridge’s construction.
Ahead of the planned blast, fire hoses sprayed water to reduce dust triggered by the blast, but the cloud of dust and debris seemed to darken a sunny sky.
Prosecutors are considering possible design flaws or poor maintenance as they search for the cause of the collapse during heavy holiday traffic.
Traffic on the bridge was very heavy that day, the eve of Italy’s chief summer holiday, Ferragosto.
