A fire in Rome devastated the Ponte dell’Industria, in the area between Ostiense and Marconi. The flames devoured the structure and some parts of the ‘iron bridge’ and it collapsed. There are no casualties reported.
The flames were extinguished around one in the morning. There is an interruption of electricity and the water supply has affected at least 180 resident families.
The firefighters wrote on Twitter, that the fire involved “vegetation and some makeshift shelters” and involved the electrical and gas piping system located on the side of the bridge. “The fire, which caused the collapse of the service corridor, was aggravated by the presence of the gas and electricity pipes”, said Francesco Notaro, provincial fire brigade commander.
“It was a few minutes until 11 pm when the power went out and suddenly we smelled a very strong smell of gas. We looked out the window and saw very high flames on the bridge”, said a resident aged 55, living in one of the buildings in via del Ponte Fluviale.
The first officials to intervene on the scene of the fire in the Ostiense was that of the Carabinieri of the Compagnia di Roma Trastevere, which was in transit. The bridge can be crossed on foot by the rescue personnel. The causes of the fire are still unknown.
The Carabinieri and the other police forces that intervened evacuated three rooms adjacent to the bridge.
The investigations are conducted by the Carabinieri of the Roma Porta Portese Station and Compagnia Roma Trastevere.
“It pains the heart, to see a piece of history in this way …, said” the mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi while taking the stock of the fire. “The Municipal Operational Committee is convened for tomorrow morning to restore services such as gas and electricity. Then it will be necessary to check the stability of the bridge, we will try to reopen the viability as soon as possible,” she added.