BRUSSELS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The presidents of the European Commission and the European Council Tuesday expressed their condolences to Italy in the wake of a bridge collapse which claimed at least 20 lives.
In a statement, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was "deeply saddened."
"On behalf of the European Commission, I express my deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died, and to the Italian people," he said. "My best wishes of strength and courage go to all those involved in the rescue operations."
European Council President Donald Tusk also tweeted: "My heart and thoughts are in #Genoa with all the victims, their families and loved ones."
At least 20 people died in the collapse of a major motorway bridge in the northwest Italian city of Genoa on Tuesday, according to civil protection officials.
But some local media reports, citing the deputy minister for infrastructure and transport, put the death toll in the collapse at 22.
The incident concerned a viaduct called "Morandi Bridge" connecting the highway A10 to the western part of the city, near a populous neighborhood called Sampierdarena.
Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge is a major connection for the port city of Genoa. The collapse affected a bridge portion of about 100 meters, and might be due to a structural failure, Ansa news agency reported citing civil protection and firefighter sources.
