The death toll from Italy’s catastrophic highway bridge collapse rose to 43 people Saturday, as some of the dead were honored in Genoa with a state funeral.

Four more bodies were discovered in the rubble and a badly injured victim died in the hospital, bringing the unofficial death toll to 43.

Meanwhile, Genoa’s archbishop, Angelo Cardinal Bagnasco, led a funeral Mass before 19 coffins. Bagnasco said the tragedy “gashed the heart of Genoa.”

Many fought back tears as the names of some 30 victims from Tuesday’s collapse were read. Mourners also applauded firefighters, police and volunteers as they arrived.

Names of the dead were placed on each coffin before the altar. Photographs, flowers and on one coffin a signed sports jersey, a sports trophy and a stuffed animal added personal touches.

Among the coffins were those of two young Albanian Muslim men who lived and worked in Italy. Their remains were blessed at the end of the Catholic service by a Genoa imam, who drew applause when he prayed for God to “protect Italy and all Italians.”

After he comforted family members, Italian President Sergio Mattarella demanded guarantees that all the nation’s roads are safe. He called the collapse of the bridge, which linked two major highways, one leading to Milan and the other toward France, “an unacceptable tragedy” and demanded “responsibility be ascertained with rigor.”

Prosecutors are focusing the investigation on possible design flaws or inadequate maintenance of the 51-year-old bridge.

Responding to harsh criticism, the Italian highway company in charge of maintaining the collapsed bridge offered to build a new structure in eight months.

Giovanni Castellucci, CEO of Autostrade per l’Italia, the company that manages Italian highways and bridges, told reporters it has a plan to demolish what’s left of the largely concrete 51-year-old Morandi Bridge and build a “less imposing” steel span.

Italy’s government, however, has begun procedures to revoke the company’s concession and has vowed it will never again run the nation’s roads and bridges.

With Post wires