State funeral held for Genoa bridge collapse victims as some families voice anger

At least 38 people died when a section of the Morandi Bridge -- a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwest Italy to France and one of the busiest bridges in Italy -- suddenly plummeted to the ground on Tuesday.

President Sergio Materella, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini are among the politicians who will participate in the funeral service at a convention center in the city, led by the city's archbishop, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco. Conte has proclaimed Saturday a day of national mourning.

Those gathering for the state funeral gave a standing ovation as a number of first responders arrived at the convention center. Many of them stopped to kiss the coffins as they passed by.

Each of the 18 coffins was decorated with mounds of flowers and a photo of the victim. Families and survivors sat by each coffin, with local priests also present to offer comfort.

Authorities in Genoa did not confirm how many families had declined to take part in the state funeral.

The ceremony takes place as search efforts continue for an unknown number of people who may still be trapped among the massive chunks of concrete.

At least four people are known to be missing. But Italian authorities have said they don't know exactly how many cars were on the collapsed section of the bridge or the number of people that were in them.

Hopes of finding survivors are fading and authorities have warned that the number killed in the disaster may rise.

A funeral for four friends who died in the bridge collapse took place on Friday. Large crowds gathered outside the church in Torre del Greco, near Naples, while the priests blessed the four coffins.

Roberto Battiloro, the father of one of the four, told Italian news media he was boycotting the state funeral because he didn't want to be involved in a "parade of politicians."

The Italian fire service tweeted Saturday morning: "With grief in our hearts, our work continues."

In an earlier tweet, the firefighters said their work continued without pause and that overnight they had recovered the wreckage of a car involved in the collapse.

The European Commission also tweeted its "deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died."

Conte announced a 12-month state of emergency for the city of Genoa on Wednesday night and pledged €5 million to tackle the immediate costs of the search-and-rescue efforts.

The company which had the contract for maintenance on the A10 motorway, Autostrade, said it would hold a news conference Saturday afternoon in Genoa.

Leading politicians have blamed Autostrade for the Genoa disaster. Conte announced Wednesday that his government would revoke the concession from the company, while Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli called for senior managers there to resign.

The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport announced the creation of an inspection commission to carry out technical checks and analysis in an investigation into the cause of the collapse. The commission will have 30 days to provide the minister with a detailed report on the collapse.

Experts have warned that thousands of other bridges in Italy could be at risk of collapse.