Before-and-after photos show the startling scale of the bridge collapse disaster in northern Italy

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The bridge in Genoa before and after the collapse.

• A huge motorway bridge collapsed in Genoa, northern Italy, on Tuesday morning.
• At least 22 people are confirmed dead.
• Before-and-after photos of the bridge show the striking nature of the disaster.

A motorway bridge collapsed in northern Italy on Tuesday morning, killing at least 22 people.

A section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa measuring about 262 feet long, and located 164 feet above ground, gave in around 11:30 a.m. local time. The cause of the collapse remains unknown.

Startling photos of the scene show a large portion of the bridge missing and mounds of rubble collected underneath.

(Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP

Photos of the aftermath show a large portion of the Morandi bridge missing.

Here's what the bridge looked like before the collapse:

Google Maps

The Morandi Bridge before the collapse.

And here's what it looked like after the collapse, from the same angle:

Twitter/Polizia di Stato

A reportedly 656-feet-long section of the bridge collapsed.

The Morandi Bridge crossed over a river, railway tracks, and some buildings. Here's what it looked like before:

Google Maps

The Morandi bridge before the collapse.

Photos now show the two ends standing, and a huge gap where much of the road used to be. Smoking rubble also stands where buildings used to be.

The bridge was an important interchange and led to Italy's main highway, which headed west into France. Here's what it was like to drive on before the collapse:

Google Maps

The view driving over the bridge.

Police shared a photo from a similar position, showing collapsed debris and the missing section of the bridge.

Here's the wreckage from another angle:

Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP

Rubble and debris from the bridge collapse.

Emergency services are now working on the scene, where at least one person has been pulled from the rubble and transported to hospital by helicopter, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP

Emergency services are on the scene after the bridge collapse.

For full coverage of the collapse, click here.