A motorway bridge has collapsed in the northwest Italian city of Genoa, killing 26 people and badly injuring 15, police told the BBC.
Dramatic video footage captured the moment of the disaster when one of the huge supporting towers crashed down during torrential rain. Cars and trucks plummeted 45m (148ft) on to rail tracks, buildings and a river along with slabs of concrete.
Searches for people trapped in rubble are expected to go into the night. Fears that other parts of the bridge might fall have prompted the evacuation of buildings in the area, a rescuer told Italy's Ansa news agency.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini promised that anyone found to be responsible for the bridge collapse would be held to account.
"I have crossed that bridge hundreds of times," he said. "Now, as an Italian citizen, I will do everything to get the names and surnames of the managers responsible, past and present, because it is unacceptable to die like that in Italy."
How did the structure collapse?
It fell around 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) during heavy rain.
Police reported a violent cloudburst. "We saw lightning strike the bridge," eyewitness Pietro M all'Asa was quoted as saying by Ansa. "And we saw the bridge going down."
Engineers say it is too early to determine the cause of the collapse but that lightning is unlikely to be the reason.
Another witness, unnamed, recalled: "We heard an incredible roar and first we thought it was thunder very close by.
"We live about 5km [three miles] from the bridge but we heard a crazy bang... We were very scared... Traffic went completely haywire and the city was paralysed."MORE.
Italy bridge collapse: 39 dead as minister calls for resignations
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