Stories of survival have emerged from the collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, which has so far claimed 38 lives.
Italy’s government opened an investigation on Thursday into the country’s biggest toll-road operator, hours after saying it could face a heavy fine or lose its concession over the bridge collapse.
A section of the bridge gave way on Tuesday in busy lunchtime traffic, plunging dozens of vehicles 50 metres below and engulfing Autostrade per l’Italia into a political firestorm.
More deaths are expected to be confirmed once rescuers finish searching the area.
It is not yet clear why the bridge collapsed, though repairs were being done at the time.
A national day of mourning is planned for this weekend.
Stories have begun to emerge from the ordeal, which has made international headlines this week.
Marina and Camilla Guagliata
Marina Guagliata, 58, was shopping with her daughter Camilla, 24, when a large piece of the bridge hit the second-hand store they were inside, trapping both under the debris.
"I was buried up to my chest, and my daughter was completely buried. I fainted several times,” Marina told local media from her hospital bed.
"I could breathe as my face was free, but Camilla was underneath, covered. I couldn't see her but I knew that she was there.”
"I managed to touch her hand and face and remove debris from her mouth."
Marina said she could only remember asking rescuers to save her daughter first.
Marina Guagliata speaking in her hospital bed. Source: La Repubblica
Camilla is in a stable condition after sustaining injuries to her lungs, pelvis, ribs and an arm.
"We heard a roar, looked out of the window and screamed," Camilla said.
Davide Capello
Davide Capello, 33, was driving over the bridge for business when it collapsed.
“I was passing through and I heard a deafening sound. I saw the road going down and I was going down with it and I thought the worse. Then I had the luck to end up, I don't even know where,” he said.
“I do feel like an incredibly lucky person because it felt like being in a movie."
Mr Capello began work as a firefighter in 2013 after retiring from life as a professional football goalkeeper.
Davide Capello Source: Facebook
He was capped three times for Italy’s under-20 team.
Gianluca Ardini
Rescuers found Gianluca Ardini, 28, in the wreckage of his van inside the rubble, after it reportedly plunged more than 30 metres.
Footage has been released of his rescue.
“We still can’t understand how it was possible for that to happen, but he is alive,” Mr Ardini’s partner, Giulia Organo, who is eight-months pregnant.
“He dropped 40 metres and then remained wedged between the rubble, suspended 20 metres above the ground. The firemen told him to remain totally still because the slightest movement could have caused another collapse.
“He held on because he was determined to see the birth of his son.”
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Mr Ardini escaped with fractures, cuts and bruises, but his colleague who was also inside the van passed away.
Luciano Goccia
Luciano Goccia was in his truck a short distance from the bridge when it collapsed. The shockwave propelled him away from falling rubble.
Mr Goccia said it is a “miracle" he was still alive.
Luciano Goccia Source: AP
“As soon as I was under the bridge, I opened the door to get out of the truck and nothing, I heard a loud bang. I turned around and I saw myself flying against a wall,” he said.
“I lost my breath, as the blast wave that moved me saved my life.”
Mr Goccia, who crossed the bridge three times a day, sustained shoulder and hip injuries.
Idris
A truck driver identified only as Idris recounted how he was a few cars behind another truck that was able to come to a complete stop before the bridge's edge.
“That [driver] is the luckiest person in the world because he was probably going to fall down but, moments before the collapse there was a car that passed him, therefore he braked just a little,” he told local media.
“The [other] car went down while he kept braking and stopped right where the bridge was cut.”
Idris, a truck driver caught up in the collapse Source: AP/Sky Italy
Idris said he quickly got out of his car to warn vehicles behind him of what had happened.
“The first thing is that you need to save your life but also to warn the people behind you because as they are inside their cars they are not able to see what is happening ahead of them,” he said.
“It was a mess, really, it was a terrible thing. I never saw something like that in my whole life."
Nicola and Lisa Henton-Mitchell
British tourists Nicola and Lisa Henton-Mitchell were on the bridge as it began to collapse.
The pair was vacationing with their two children aged 12 and nine.
“All of a sudden all the reverse lights came on, people started shouting, waving their arms to reverse,” they told the BBC.
Britons Nicola and Lisa Henton-Mitchell Source: BBC
"The car in front hit the front of our car, and then people were running, screaming in Italian ‘run, out, everyone out cars, out cars’. So we just literally said ‘kids, run’ because we didn’t know what was happening.
“We left everything in the car and just ran for our lives.”
-Additional reporting by AFP, AAP.
