In a statement, the Ministry of Transport said it had given the company 15 days to show it had previously met all its contractual obligations to ensure the proper functioning of the bridge and avoid accidents.

If the justifications provided by the company, a unit of infrastructure group Atlantia (ATL.MI), were judged inadequate Rome would consider it a breach of the terms of the group’s toll-road concession.

The Transport Ministry said it wanted the Atlantia unit to immediately commit to rebuilding the bridge at its own expense and within a limited amount of time.

It also called on the company to foot the bill for work to restore the buildings and areas damaged by the accident.

Meanwhile, Italian authorities have released the names of victims whose identities have been confirmed.

Family of three, Roberto Robbiano, 44, Ersilia Piccinino, 41, and Samuel Robbiano, 9, were on their way to Sardinia for a holiday when they were caught up in the collapse.

Photo: Facebook

Nurse Marta Danisi, 29, and her doctor boyfriend Alberto Fanfani, 32 were also found among the rubble.

Photo: Facebook

Stella Boccia, 24, and her Peruvian boyfriend Carlos Jesus Erazo Trujillo, 27, were travelling together when tragedy struck.

Four French friends - Melissa Artu, 22, Nathan Gusman, Axelle Place,19, and William Pouzadoux, 21 - were travelling to a techno music festival in Italy when their lives were tragically cut short. They were identified primarily by piercings and jewellery.

Melissa Artus and Nathan Gusman. (Photo: Facebook)

Genoa local Andrea Cerulli, 47, was also found among the ruins. Tributes went out to the soccer fan on social media.

Photo: Facebook

Turin family - Andrea Vittone, 49, Claudia Possetti, 47, Manuele Bellasio, 16, and Camilla Bellasio, 12 - were setting off on a holiday when the bridge collapsed.

Photo: Facebook

Marjus Djerri, 22, and Edi Bokrina, 30, both originally from Albania, worked for Genoa's environmental service and were travelling in a work van at the time of the incident.

Marjus Djerri. (Photo: Facebook)

Vincenzo Licata, 57, a truck driver from the Sicilian city of Agrigento, was also working when he was caught up in the collapse.

Photo: Facebook

Also identified were Juan Ruben Carrasco Figueroa, 68, Juan Carlos Pastenas, and Nora Rivera - a Chilean trio who had lived in Italy for years.

Juan Carlos Pastenas and Nora Rivera. (Photo: Facebook)

Father of four Luigi Matti Altadonna, 34, and his colleague Gianluca Ardini, were driving a work van when the tragedy occurred.

Luigi Matti Altadonna. (Photo: Facebook)

Colleagues Mirko Vicini and Bruno Casagrande, 57, and maintenance worker Alessandro Campora, 55, were reportedly under the bridge when the accident unfolded.

Mirko Vicini. (Photo: Facebook)

Elisa Bozzo, 33, was found among the rubble after concerned friends failed to contact her.

Photo: Facebook

A group of four friends - Gerardo Esposito, 26, Matteo Bentornati, Giovanni Battiloro and Antonio Stanzone - made a last-minute decision to drive to their holiday in Spain rather than fly, and were killed in the incident.

Gerardo Esposito. (Photo: Facebook)

Other victims who have reportedly since been identified are: father of two Gennaro Sarnataro, 43; Giorgio Donaggio, 57; Francesco Bello, 41; Angela Zerilli, 58; and Colombian man Henry Diaz, 30.

With Reuters