Why Italy’s Genoa bridge collapse led to one of its biggest criminal trials
Eight years after 43 people were killed, judges rule in the first trial over the Genoa bridge collapse. In the northwestern Italian port city of
Eight years after 43 people were killed, judges rule in the first trial over the Genoa bridge collapse. In the northwestern Italian port city of Genoa, one of the deadliest disasters in the country, in 2018, put the spotlight on Italy’s ageing infrastructure – and raised questions about whether the tragedy could have been prevented. On Thursday, judges in Genoa are set to deliver a verdict in the first trial over the collapse of the Morandi road bridge, which killed 43 people when it gave way on August 14, 2018. Dozens of defendants face numerous charges as families of the victims await a decision they hope will finally bring some measure of justice, nearly eight years after the disaster. The 1,182-metre (1,293-yard) structure, which had been dubbed Italy’s “Brooklyn Bridge”, was designed by the architect Riccardo Morandi. Inaugurated in 1967, it went through major reinforcement work in the 1990s. By the turn of the century, experts continued to warn that the structure was deteriorating, yet critical repairs were never carried out. So what happened on that summer day in 2018, and why did the disaster lead to one of Italy’s largest criminal trials? What happened to the bridge in 2018? On August 14 of that year, at about 12pm local time (10:00 GMT), a large, central section of the Morandi bridge gave way to torrential rain, crumbling to pieces and falling some 45 metres (148ft) to the ground. About 30 cars were on that section of the bridge, with the crossing a key highway between Italy and France and also crucial for nearby port terminals. Local officials declared a 12-month state of emergency in Genoa and promised 5 million euros ($5.7m) to the rescue efforts. What caused the bridge’s collapse? Shortly after the tragedy, attention turned to two factors in the bridge’s disintegration: Its safety maintenance and its design. Investigations later uncovered that the collapse was triggered by the rupture of the load-bearing cables inside the stay of the bridge’s ninth pillar, which were eaten away by a highly corrosive atmosphere during its 51-year lifespan. Prosecutors have also alleged that the collapse was caused by years of missed, inadequate or falsified maintenance aimed at delaying necessary repairs for as long as possible while officials continued to pay dividends to shareholders.
According to Enrico Musso, professor of transport economics at the University of Genoa, the bridge was also bearing a volume of traffic that it was not designed to bear. Some 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles were crossing the viaduct per day – a result of the city’s population rising in recent decades, Musso told Al Jazeera in 2018. Defence lawyers, however, have argued that the disaster was a result of an original construction flaw at the top of stay cable number nine – the one that collapsed – which they said was impossible to detect and could not have been prevented by maintenance. Who were the victims of the bridge collapse? A total of 43 people died in the disaster. Most were Italian citizens, alongside some French, Albanian and Chilean nationals. The victims included a family setting off on holiday, young French nationals who travelled to Italy for a techno music festival, and a couple returning from their California honeymoon with their children in tow. That couple was Claudia Possetti, 47, and her new husband, Andrea, 48, who were passing through the bridge to return to their hometown of Pinerolo with their two children, aged 12 and 16. Claudia’s sister, Egle Possetti, will be among the relatives present in the courtroom on Thursday to hear the verdict of the collapse. Even eight years later, Egle remembers her sister as full of life – a woman who was a good person and loved her family deeply, she said. Her nephew was an avid mountain biker, and her niece a “beautiful” dancer. Egle heads the Comitato Parenti Vittime Ponte Morandi, the committee representing victims’ families, which has been fighting on behalf of their loved ones. Thursday’s verdict has been long awaited, she said. “We fight so much to the end of this trial to have justice for [Claudia], for her family, for all the [victims], and also for Italian citizens – because we need more justice for all – we need security,” she told Al Jazeera, stating that she hopes all groups responsible for the accident are finally held to account. Who is on trial for the incident?
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