Jail Sentences for Officials in Genoa Bridge Collapse That Killed 43

WHO:

CNN - Giovanni Castellucci, former CEO of Atlantia

CNN - Autostrade per l’Italia, the motorway operator controlled by Atlantia

CNN - Arrigo Giana, current head of Autostrade

CNN - The Benetton family, controlling shareholders of Atlantia

CNN - Fifty-seven individuals on trial, including company executives, engineers, and transport ministry officials

WHAT:

CNN - Giovanni Castellucci was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the 2018 Genoa bridge collapse.

CNN - The collapse resulted in the deaths of 43 people.

CNN - A 50-metre (160-foot) high section of the Morandi bridge collapsed, sending as many as 35 vehicles plunging onto warehouses and a riverbed.

BBC News - Giovanni Castellucci was handed a 12-year term over the 2018 bridge collapse.

WHERE:

CNN - The incident occurred in Genoa, Italy.

CNN - The Morandi bridge was located in the northwestern port city of Genoa.

WHEN:

CNN - The bridge collapse occurred in 2018.

CNN - The court ruling took place on a Thursday, with no specific date provided.

WHY:

CNN - Prosecutors argued that years of inadequate maintenance, ignored warning signs, and delayed safety work contributed to the collapse.

CNN - Defence lawyers claimed the disaster was caused by an original design defect in the bridge’s stay cable number nine.

HOW:

CNN - The court's ruling can be appealed at least twice under the Italian legal system.

CNN - The disaster triggered years of investigations into the management and maintenance of Italy's ageing infrastructure.

(UPDATED July 16, 2026 14:38 UTC)

Giovanni Castellucci, the former CEO of Atlantia, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the 2018 Genoa bridge collapse, which tragically resulted in the deaths of 43 people when a 50-meter high section of the Morandi bridge fell, sending vehicles plummeting onto warehouses and a riverbed. The court's ruling, which can be appealed at least twice under the Italian legal system, comes as fifty-seven individuals, including company executives and transport ministry officials, are on trial for their involvement in the disaster that has sparked extensive investigations into Italy's aging infrastructure. Prosecutors argued that years of inadequate maintenance and ignored warning signs contributed to the collapse, while defense lawyers contended that an original design defect was to blame.