Italy holds funeral for bridge collapse victims

A state funeral service was underway Saturday in Italy to commemorate dozens of people killed in Genoa's bridge disaster, as some outraged relatives shunned official ceremonies and rescuers pulled more bodies from the wreckage.

According to reports, the funeral which coincides with a national day of mourning, came as firefighters still searching for five missing people discovered a car with human remains inside.

Local media reported a family of three had been discovered, including a nine-year-old girl, adding to the death toll of 38.

The populist government has blamed the operator of the viaduct for the collapse and threatened to strip the firm of its contracts.

Thousands of mourners flocked to bid farewell to the victims whose coffins, adorned with flowers and photographs, lined an exhibition hall turned into a makeshift chapel.

Among the coffins was a small white one for the youngest victim, an eight-year-old boy who was killed alongside his parents.

Another two were draped in the Albanian flag featuring a black eagle against a red background.

But more than half of the families of the victims refused to take part, some preferring a more intimate funeral, while others announced a boycott.

Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco, who is expected to lead the mass, expressed his respect for those who refused state funerals.

SS