Fire damages Rome's 19th century 'Iron Bridge'

ROME: A huge fire on Saturday night severely damaged Rome's famed "Iron Bridge," with parts of the 19th century structure plunging into the River Tiber.

The bridge, which was opened 1863 and whose formal name is Ponte dell' Industria (Industry Bridge), connects the densely populated Ostiense and Portuense neighbourhoods.

The fire broke out on the eve of elections for the next mayor, in which the main issue has been the general decay of infrastructure and public services in the Italian capital.