A motorway bridge collapsed in northern Italian port city of Genoa on Tuesday, killing around 30 people, the country’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said, according to AFP reported. In a tweet, Italian Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said he was following the “immense tragedy” with “great apprehension”.

The structure collapsed at around noon local time (around 3 pm Indian time) during heavy rain, as vehicles plummeted some 100 metres. The bridge had mostly fallen on rail tracks, a fire service spokesperson told AFP. Train services around Genoa have been suspended, Reuters reported.

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Evacuation process is under way, while nearly 200 firefighters are at the scene, Salvini said.

The Morandi Bridge, which stands on the A10 highway, was built in the 1960s and restructuring work was carried out in 2016. The highway is a key connecting route the Italian Riviera to France’s southern coast.