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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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
