KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade assures that it has been keeping in touch with the relatives of Cristian Cecala, his Jamaican-born wife, Dawna Munroe and their nine-year-old daughter Crystal, who were sadly amongst the 43 casualties of a collapsed bridge in Genoa, Italy on August 15.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith said she has conveyed condolences, through the Jamaican Ambassador in Geneva, to the Cecala and Munroe families.

“We recognise that this is a most tragic and traumatic incident and we continue to pray for all the families and the country of Italy during this difficult period of national mourning,” Johnson Smith was quoted as saying in a statement from her ministry.

“Although we are only commenting on the matter of the Cecala family now, the ministry has been communicating with relatives through our Ambassador as well as Jamaica’s Honorary Consul in Rome and has offered support. We are, however, mindful of certain sensitivities surrounding the event and must always act responsibly and in ways that are in the best interest of the families,” Johnson Smith added.

The bodies of the three members of the family were among the last to be recovered on Monday, August 20 from the scene of the accident, where a section of a bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed in the Italian port city of Genoa, during a violent storm.

The foreign ministry has confirmed that representatives of both families are currently in Italy and that in light of the Italian citizenship of the family; the Italian Government has taken charge of the situation and has assigned a Red Cross Representative to provide additional support.

It said it will provide further information to the public, as the family may deem appropriate.