Deaths up to 39 in Italian bridge collapse amid fear more of span could fall on any survivors

Awakening/Getty Images(GENOA, Italy) — The Italian port city of Genoa began two official days of mourning Wednesday amid an urgent search for survivors of a catastrophic bridge collapse that has claimed at least 39 lives, including three children, authorities said.

“It continues to be a rescue operation until they have searched all the rubble,” Italian fire official Emmanuelle Gissi told ABC News. “They finished one side of the river bank and moved to the other side.”

About 400 rescue workers remain at the scene, working in a dangerous environment in an attempt to find more survivors, Gissi said. Buildings under the bridge were damaged in the collapse and there is concern that the rest of the bridge could fall, he said.

Dozens of cars and three trucks fell about 150 feet to the ground Tuesday when Gebona’s Morandi Bridge collapsed one day before Italy’s major summer holiday.

Fifteen people were injured, authorities said.

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