Milan, 18 April (LaPresse) – ‘I have declared a state of emergency’ and now ‘the mayors will assess the damage,’ announced Veneto President Luca Zaia after the wave of bad weather that hit the provinces of Verona and Vicenza in particular, causing two deaths – a father and son – when a sinkhole opened up on the Ponte dei Nori bridge over the Agno river. ‘It is undeniable that the situation is tragic, because a father and son losing their lives when a bridge collapses is certainly a tragedy,’ said Zaia. ‘A tragedy like this was unthinkable; the ground collapsed beneath their feet. The father belonged to a voluntary association and they were probably on their way to offer their help. This wave of rain will go down in history for the loss of two lives,’ added Zaia, offering his condolences to the families of the two victims from Valdagno. During the flood, the river reached a record level of 2.73 metres. Zaia also appealed to citizens to stay away from bridges and embankments at this time.