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DISASTER

Genoa bridge collapse: in pictures

Dozens died when the Morandi motorway bridge that connects Genoa to most of the rest of northern Italy collapsed during a storm around noon on Tuesday.

Published: 15 August 2018 12:00 CEST
Genoa bridge collapse: in pictures
An Italian firefighter helicopter flies over the scene after a section of the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed in the northwestern city of Genoa on August 14, 2018. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFP

At this time more than three dozen people are confirmed dead, and including three children.

Photographers at the scene of the collapsed bridge shared images of the disaster.

First images of the collapsed bridge provided by the Italian police show the viaduct in the mist with a huge chunk missing. Photo: Handout / Italian Police / AFP

The first images of the collapsed bridge provided by the Italian police show the viaduct in the mist with a huge chunk missing. Photo: Handout / Italian Police / AFP

 

This general view taken on August 15, 2018, shows abandoned vehicles on the Morandi motorway bridge the day after a section collapsed in the north-western Italian city of Genoa. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

This general view taken on August 15, 2018, shows abandoned vehicles on the Morandi motorway bridge the day after a section collapsed. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

Part of the A10 freeway which collapsed Tuesday fell on to the road below, crushing vehicles beneath. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Part of the A10 freeway which collapsed Tuesday fell on to the road below, crushing vehicles beneath. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

A view from the road below the A10 freeway, which the viaduct collapsed onto. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

A view from the road below the A10 freeway, which the viaduct collapsed onto. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

An Italian fire and rescue service helicopter flies over the site after a section of the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed earlier in Genoa on August 14, 2018. Photo: Photo: Federico Scoppa / AFP

An Italian fire and rescue service helicopter flies over the site of the collapsed bridge. Photo: Photo: Federico Scoppa / AFP

 

People look at the destroyed Morandi motorway bridge from a distance. Photo: Federico Scoppa / AFP

People look at the destroyed Morandi motorway bridge from a distance. Photo: Federico Scoppa / AFP

 

A piece of the A10 freeway, part of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa that collapsed on August 14, 2018, lies on its side on the ground. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP.

A piece of the A10 freeway, part of the Morandi Bridge, lies on its side on the ground. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP.

 

Rubble and debris from the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge is seen strewn along the railway line in the northern port city of Genoa on August 14, 2018. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Rubble and debris from the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge is seen strewn along the railway line. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

The front cabin of a truck that fell from the collapsed section of the A10 freeway lies overturned. Photo: Andrea Leoni / AFP

The front cabin of a truck that fell from the collapsed section of the A10 freeway lies overturned. Photo: Andrea Leoni / AFP

 

Rescuers and police stand near a vehicle caught in the debris of the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Rescuers and police stand near a vehicle caught in the debris of the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

Rescuers and security forces inspect the wreckage of a vehicle at the site where the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed in Genoa. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Rescuers and security forces inspect the wreckage of a vehicle at the site where the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed in Genoa. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

A helicopter flies among the wreckage of the collapsed bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

A helicopter flies among the wreckage of the collapsed bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFPX

 

A rescuer of the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian fire and rescue service, walks near the broken Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFP

A rescuer of the Vigili del Fuoco, the Italian fire and rescue service, walks near the broken Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFP

 

Rescuers and security forces evacuate a body at the site where the Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Rescuers and security forces evacuate a body at the site where the Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

A cordon is set up as people stand looking at the Morandi motorway bridge. Piero Cruciatti / AFP

A cordon is set up as people stand looking at the Morandi motorway bridge. Piero Cruciatti / AFP

 

Mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci speaks on a mobile as he walks at the site where the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci speaks on a mobile as he walks at the site where the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

A child points at the missing section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, which collapsed onto a railway track on Tuesday. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFP

A child points at the missing section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, which collapsed onto a railway track on Tuesday. Photo: Piero Cruciatti / AFPX

 

A Catholic priest walks past rescue vehicles close to the scene of the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

A Catholic priest walks past rescue vehicles close to the scene of the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

A green truck driven by Moroccan driver Afifi Idriss had a lucky escape, managing to come to a halt just in front of the collapsed part of the road. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

A green truck driven had a narrow escape, managing to come to a halt just in front of the collapsed part of the road. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

Rescuers and police gather to inspect the rubble and wreckages by the Morandi motorway bridge after a section collapsed earlier in Genoa on August 14, 2018. Photo: Federico Scoppa / AFP

Rescuers and police gather to inspect the rubble and wreckage by the Morandi motorway bridge. Photo: Federico Scoppa / AFP

 

Italian rescuers climb onto the rubble of the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge searching for victims and survivors in the northern port city of Genoa on August 14, 2018. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Italian rescuers climb onto the rubble of the collapsed Morandi motorway bridge searching for victims and survivors. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte (second on the right) visits the site of the disaster scene after a section of the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed earlier in Genoa on August 14, 2018. Photo: Andrea Leoni / AFP

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, seen here exiting his car, visits the site of the disaster scene after a section of the Morandi motorway bridge collapsed earlier in the day on August 14, 2018. Photo: Andrea Leoni / AFP

 

Rescuers use floodlights to inspect the rubble and search for survivors by the Morandi motorway bridge on the night of August 14, 2018. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

Rescuers use floodlights to inspect the rubble and search for survivors by the Morandi motorway bridge on the night of August 14, 2018. Photo: Valery Hache / AFP

 

TOURISM

First cruise ship sets sail from Italy since coronavirus shutdown

The first major cruise ship to resume tours of the Mediterranean since the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe set sail from the Italian city of Genoa on Sunday, as the industry tries to regain ground after a bruising hiatus.

Published: 16 August 2020 15:34 CEST
Updated: 16 August 2020 17:57 CEST
First cruise ship sets sail from Italy since coronavirus shutdown
A photographer watches the MSC Grandiosa depart on Sunday August 16th, 2020, after more than six months of inactivity. Photo: AFP

The departure of the MSC Grandiosa from the northwestern port city at 1930 local time represents a high-stakes test for the global sector in the key Mediterranean market and beyond.

The international cruise industry has been battered not only by the ongoing health crisis which in March forced the worldwide grounding of its ships, but accusations of a botched handling of the epidemic in its early stages.

Cruise lines are hoping that new, tighter protocols will allow them to control the still-lingering threat of coronavirus aboard its ships while still offering travellers a cruise experience that does not disappoint.

Arriving passengers preparing to check in before taking a required coronavirus blood test inside the terminal told AFP they were not concerned about the virus. Some said they believed cruises were now safer than other vacation options.

“I couldn't miss the first cruise after Covid,” cruise blogger Rosalba Scarrone, 64, told AFP.

READ ALSO: Venice anti-cruise ship activists cheer temporary victory as liners pull out

“I've taken 87 cruises, can you imagine how much I've suffered not setting off from February until now?”

The Grandiosa is part of the fleet of privately-owned MSC Cruises, founded in Naples but now based in Geneva. The ship will travel to the ports of Civitavecchia near Rome, Naples, Palermo and Valletta, Malta during the seven-day cruise.

Competitor Costa Cruises, owned by Carnival, has opted to delay the restart of its Mediterranean cruises until September, with departures from Trieste and Genoa for Italian-only clients. The company said the measure was designed to “guarantee the maximum security for guests, crew and local communities.”

Fewer passengers

Much is riding on the decision to restart cruises. Italy represents the bulk of Europe's cruise industry, reaping 14.5 billion euros of revenue per year and supporting nearly 53,000 jobs, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

The group estimated a potential economic loss from suspended cruises throughout Europe could amount to about 25.5 billion euros.

“The voyage … represents a tangible sign of comeback for one of the fundamental economic industries of our city,” said Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci.

Over 2 million cruise passengers departed from the city last year.

Last week, Italy's government, which is striving to revive the country's moribund economy after a more than two-month lockdown, gave cruise operators the green light to begin operating again as of August 15. 

MSC authorities said approximately 2,500 passengers would be on its debut cruise, limited to about 70 percent of normal capacity.

All eyes in the industry will be on the Grandiosa after a smaller cruise operator, Norway's Hurtigruten, was forced earlier this month to suspend its newly restarted service after dozens of passengers and crew tested positive for COVID-19.

Global health authorities criticised the industry's slow response to the spread of the virus at the onset of the crisis earlier this year before ships were grounded in March, from lax monitoring of crew, to continued operation of self-service buffets and gyms, to lack of personal protective equipment.

Buffet is served

As of June 11, 3,047 people were infected and 73 people died aboard 48 cruise ships affiliated with trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), according to Johns Hopkins University data, provided by CLIA.

Health authorities say close living and working spaces for crew, along with partially enclosed environments contributed to greater risk of infection on cruises than other venues.

MSC has suspended the rest of its Mediterranean cruises until October save for an August 29 cruise departing from the southern Italian port of Bari.

The company said its new security protocol exceeds national and industry standards, including daily temperatures taken and escorted trips in controlled groups for excursions.

Food from the buffet, a highlight of the cruise experience, will be served at passengers' tables.

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