Guatemala Offers Solidarity to Italy, Victims of Bridge Tragedy

Guatemala expressed solidarity with Italy and the 39 victims of Tuesday’s tragic bridge collapse in Genoa.

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"The people and Government of Guatemala wish to express their deepest condolences to the people and Government of the Italian Republic, particularly to the families of the victims, and hopes for the prompt recovery of the wounded," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in the statement Wednesday.

A 12-month state of emergency has been called for the surrounding area after at least 39 commuters, including three children, fell from a terrifying 45m (148ft) when a storm dislodged the concrete structure, BBC reports.

Hundreds of firefighters and some 400 rescue workers continue to scrounge the rubble, though they say there is little hope of finding any more survivors.

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

Restructuring work on the bridge was carried out in 2016. The highway operator said work to shore up the foundation of the bridge was being carried out at the time of the collapse, adding that the bridge was constantly monitored.

The elevated road crumbled over a river, railroad tracks and buildings. The highway is a major artery to the Italian Riviera and France's southern coast. Train services around Genoa have been halted.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said, "These are unacceptable tragedies that should not happen in a modern society. This government will do everything to prevent such tragedies from happening again."

Conte ordered that all surrounding apartments and their 630 inhabitants be evacuated and €5m (US$5,600,000) of the national emergency fund will be employed. According to Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli, there is a high chance that residents may not return if the city plans a reconstruction and needs the space.