Nearly four years following the tragic bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy, the trial of officials accused of poor maintenance of the bridge began early Thursday morning, according to the Italian news agency (ANSA).
Fifty-nine people are accused of causing the disaster that killed 43 people in 2018. The prosecution will hear more than 170 witnesses. More than 300 civil plaintiffs have already joined the trial.
However, the trial might take years to determine the person responsible for the collapse of the Ponte Morandi bridge.
“Nearly four years later, we have high expectations,” Eagle Posetti, a spokesperson for Victims’ Rights, said, adding that it was imperative that those responsible be brought to justice so that victims “may rest in peace.”
The old express bridge collapsed on August 14, 2018, leaving hundreds of people homeless. A new bridge called San Giorgio Bridge was inaugurated in August of 2020.
The trial of those responsible for the collapse of the Genoa bridge begins 4 years after the accident
