Death toll in Italy bridge collapse rises to 41
Rome, Aug 18 : The death toll in a bridge collapse in the Italian city of Genoa climbed to 41 even as preparations were underway for a state funeral for all the victims on Saturday.
The toll was raised after rescuers found a vehicle with the bodies of another three people -- a couple and their 9-year-old child -- from the rubble, Efe news reported.
Thirty eight victims have been identified so far, including three children. Two people were still missing, according to the Civil Protection Department.
Saturday's funeral would be officiated by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, Archbishop of Genoa, and attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Some families were reportedly staying away from the funeral ceremony because of anger at the government, according to the BBC. They will be holding private burials elsewhere in Italy.
"Many do not want to take part in a showcase and I understand them," Father Mauro Brezzo, chaplain of Genoa's San Martino hospital, told the Italian media.
The collapse of a section of the Morandi motorway bridge and the deaths of those crossing in vehicles led to a fierce debate in Italy about the nation's infrastructure.
The government has set up a commission to examine the causes of the disaster and one member speculated that a broken cable rod was "a serious work hypothesis", the BBC said.
Antonio Brencich, a University of Genoa lecturer, said there were "eyewitness accounts and videos that go in this direction". The bridge, which was constructed in the 1960s, has cables running directly from the deck to the top of the towers.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
