The Latest: 2 Albanians among dead in Italy bridge collapse

ROME – The Latest developments following the deadly collapse of a highway bridge in Italy (all times local):

12:15 p.m.

Albanian authorities say that two Albanian men were killed in the collapse of the highway bridge in Genoa.

The Albanian Embassy in Rome identified the victims as two young Albanian men named Marjus Djerri and Edi Bokrina on its Facebook page Wednesday, expressing condolences and offering assistance to their families.

Hundreds of thousands of Albanians have moved to Italy seeking better lives following the collapse of the communist regime in the tiny western Balkan country.

___

10:45 a.m.

Italian authorities have raised the death toll in the Genoa highway bridge collapse to at least 37.

The Italian city's prefect office announced the updated figure on Wednesday even as rescuers searched through tons of slabs of broken roadbed, smashed concrete chunks and twisted steel for any more survivors.

At least two people were missing.

The Morandi Bridge collapsed without warning Tuesday, sending dozens of vehicles plunging as much as 50 meters (180 feet) below. Sixteen people were injured. State radio said among them was a woman who suffered smoke inhalation from a fire sparked by debris falling into her home and a Czech truck driver who suffered a chest injury.

Many in the city had said the 1967 bridge needed shoring up.

___

9 a.m.

Rescue and recovery efforts continued through the night into the morning in Italy following the collapse of a highway bridge in Genoa, while authorities raised the death toll to 35 with three missing.

Rescuers 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.

State radio Wednesday quoted the prefect's office confirming a death toll of 35 and denying some news reports that put it at 38.

About a dozen people remained hospitalized in serious condition.

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. There had been proposals to upgrade the 1967 bridge.