Italy Bridge Collapse: 32 Found Guilty Over 2018 Disaster That Killed 43

In the trial of the 2018 Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa, Italy, which killed 43 people, 32 defendants have been sentenced to various prison terms. Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI), the company responsible for the bridge's operation at the time of the disaster, was sentenced to 12 years in prison.Other former executives of ASPI, Michele Donferri and Paolo Berti, were sentenced to 11 years and 5 years and 6 months in prison, respectively. Antonino Galata, the former CEO of SPEA, the company responsible for maintenance and road safety, was also sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison. The court acquitted 25 people, while Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Matteo Salvini stated that justice had been served. The current CEO of ASPI, Arrigo Giana, also apologized on behalf of the company.The Morandi Bridge collapsed on August 14, 2018, killing 43 people. The initial expert report found that the bridge's suspender cables, sections, and connection points had high levels of wear and tear and lacked significant maintenance. The prosecution's indictment stated that many of the defendants knew the bridge could collapse before the disaster but did nothing to prevent it.