A FAMILY of three, including a seven-year-old boy, were among 35 people killed in the horror Genoa bridge collapse - as rescuers vowed they will not stop until "the last victim is found".

Roberto Robbiano, his wife Ersilia Piccinino, and their son Samuel died as they crossed the Morandi bridge on Tuesday.

The news comes as rescuers - including specialist earthquake units - desperately search for survivors among the rubble of the huge structure - which collapsed without warning.

Rescue and recovery efforts continued through the night into the morning while authorities confirmed the death toll of 35 adding there are at least three people missing.

Emergency workers searched through tons of concrete slabs and steel for survivors or bodies from the collapse a day earlier on the eve of Wednesday's summer Ferragosto holiday.

About a dozen people are in hospital in a serious condition.

Fire crews revealed no new survivors had been found overnight, but three more bodies had been discovered.
Teams with dogs are aiding search and rescue operations, but rescuers are not hearing or seeing any signs of life, he said, adding the situation around the bridge site is still dangerous.

Genoa police spokeswoman Alessandra Bucci said: “We are continuing with the rescue operations because we think there are other people alive under the rubble. We hope to find more people alive.”

Marcello de Angelis, who is co-ordinating the Italian Red Cross in the region, revealed the emergency services were treating the incident as if it were an earthquake.

He told the BBC: “There might be the possibility of some niches being created by the rubble itself, with people being protected by the rubble.

“The units that we have sent are the units that we use during earthquakes.

“So it is the same sort of situation, and also the risk of other collapses, obviously is the same.”

Close to 300 firefighters and emergency services personnel were involved in the operation on Tuesday, and up to twelve people are reportedly still missing.

Fire service official Emanuele Giffi said: “We’re not giving up hope, we’ve already saved a dozen people from under the rubble.

“We’re going to work round the clock until the last victim is found.”

Italy's transport minister called on Wednesday for senior managers to resign at the company operating the bridge that collapsed in the port city.

The government will also look into stripping Autostrade per l'Italia, a unit of the Atlantia group, of the concession to manage the motorway that included the Morandi Bridge, and imposing financial penalties on the group, Danilo Toninelli said.

Atlantia and Autostrade per l'Italia could not immediately be reached for comment

What caused an 80-meter (260-foot) long stretch of highway to break off from the 45-meter (150 foot) high Morandi Bridge in the northwestern port city is under investigation.

However, it has been reported there had been proposals to upgrade the 1967 bridge.

Among the dead was Roberto Robbiano and his family, identified by local media, and who hailed from the Campomorone north of Genoa.

Roberto was a computer technician who married Ersilia in 2014.

Amateur football player Andrea Cerulli, has also been named among the victims.

His footie club, posted a picture of the sportsman on Facebook with the message: "Genoa club port is is running around Andrea's family, our associate, our friend, our colleague, victim of Ponte Morandi's tragedy."

It added: "Goodbye Andrea."

Luigi Matti Altadonna, 35, also perished in the freak tragedy, prompting an emotional message from the mayor of his hometown of Borghetto.

Mayor Borghettino Giancarlo Canepa said: "The municipal administration joins the pain of Giovanni, a model citizen and an exemplary volunteer of the Civil Protection Section of Borghetto, for the loss of his dear nephew in the terrible tragedy of Genoa."

Luigi died driving his work van over the bridge.

Mirko Vicini, a ground worker for waste management firm Amiu, was killed alongside an unnamed co-worker, by falling debris.

The pair were working on the island of Campi below the bridge.

Company director Tiziana Merlino said: "Among the bodies found in the rubble, a colleague engaged in the unit territorial unit.
"Damage is incalculable but never comparable to the pain that afflicts us for the loss of our colleague".

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The Ponte Morandi road on the A10 motorway in northern Italy crashed onto houses and offices below at 11.30am local time during a "violent" lightning storm.

Italian footballer Davide Capello, 33, revealed how he fell 160 feet when he was driving over the doomed bridge.

Meanwhile, ITV anchorman Tom Bradby was slammed by viewers for his "insensitive" coverage of the tragedy.