Another four yards and he would have been dead. Antonio Rubino slammed on the brakes of his car just short of the point at which the bridge in Genoa collapsed.

A few seconds later and he would have plunged into the void – as did all the cars and trucks in front of him.

He was one of several drivers who cheated death on Tuesday when the Morandi bridge suffered a catastrophic collapse during a heavy thunderstorm and torrential rain.

“I was the last car behind those who died,” said Mr Rubino.

“In front of me the asphalt just completely collapsed. I’m alive by a miracle. Luckily I was not shunted from behind otherwise I would have gone down with the others. I was three, maybe four metres from the…