Venice: A horrific accident unfolded near Venice on Tuesday evening, claiming the lives of at least 21 people and leaving 18 others injured when a tourist bus veered off an overpass and crashed, catching fire upon impact.
The bus, carrying tourists to a campground, tragically lost control, hurtling off the road near railway lines in the district of Mestre, which is linked to Venice via a bridge.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. Venice city councillor Renato Boraso disclosed that one line of inquiry is exploring the possibility that the driver, a 40-year-old Italian who was among the casualties, may have fallen ill before the crash.
“This is a devastating tragedy, and the entire city is in mourning,” Boraso expressed during an interview with Sky Italia television.
According to Boraso, the coach was carrying 40 passengers, resulting in 21 fatalities and 18 injuries. Concerns about a rising death toll persist, given the critical condition of several of the injured individuals. Venice’s city hall confirmed that the wounded have been transported to nearby hospitals, with four individuals in a serious state.
The ill-fated vehicle plummeted approximately 15 meters (50 feet) onto electricity lines and subsequently caught fire at around 7:45 p.m. local time (1745 GMT).
Venice’s Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, shaken by the tragedy, expressed his disbelief on social media, stating, “It’s an apocalyptic scene. I am speechless.”
Tragically, five of the victims were Ukrainian, and one was German, as reported by Venice’s prefect Michele Di Bari, the local representative of the interior ministry. The bus was also carrying passengers from France and Croatia, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
Describing the scene, Di Bari told Sky Italia television, “The bus is totally crushed. The firefighters had difficulty getting a lot of the bodies out,” noting that two children were among the victims.
Late into the evening, rescue efforts persisted as responders labored to remove the wreckage of the bus, ensuring no additional passengers remained trapped inside.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed her condolences, stating in a press release that her government’s thoughts were with “the victims, their families, and their friends.”
This tragic incident echoes previous deadly bus crashes in Italy, underlining the ongoing challenges concerning passenger safety and road transportation in the country.
