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An Italian court will rule on Thursday in the trial over the devastating Morandi Bridge collapse that killed 43 people in Genoa eight years ago.
The disaster, which occurred during a torrential rainstorm on August 14, 2018, sent dozens of vehicles plunging into the abyss and exposed Italy’s severely decaying infrastructure.
The upcoming verdict concludes a four-year trial that focused heavily on the failure to maintain the 1967 structure.
Prosecutors are seeking combined prison sentences of more than 400 years for 57 defendants, including executives and technicians from highway operator Autostrade per l’Italia (ASPI) and maintenance firm Spea, on charges of manslaughter and endangering transport safety.
Investigators revealed that operators performed virtually no maintenance to reinforce the stays of the collapsed pillar over 51 years.
While the defence argues that a hidden, original construction defect caused the collapse, families of the victims eagerly await the verdict, hoping the court finally establishes the official truth behind the tragedy.
