At least 21 people have died after a bus fell from an overpass near Venice, in northern Italy, the mayor of the city announced, quoted by the Italian daily La Repubblica, Reuters reports.
Terrible accident in Venice: a coach fell off an overpassPhoto: Andrea Buoso / Zuma Press / Profimedia
11:11 p.mThe coach was full of tourists
The bus that crashed from the footbridge in Mestre was not running a regular route – as initially announced – but was a vehicle rented for guests by a campsite in Marghera. It was a bus belonging to the “La Linea” company, which normally ensured the connection between the campsite and Venice, notes News.ro citing tg24.sky.it.
11:03 p.m The balance sheet announced by the Italian press at this time: at least 21 dead, including two children, 12 injured transported to the hospital and several missing.
The coach ran off the road and fell over railway lines in the Mestre district, which is linked to Venice by a bridge, Italian news agencies and television said, but the cause of the accident is still unclear.
“It’s an apocalyptic scene. I have no words,” wrote the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, in a post on X (Twitter).
An immense tragedy struck our community this evening.
Ho disponedo da subito il luto cittadino, in memory of the numerous victims who were in the fallen bus.
An apocalyptic scene, non ci sono parole. pic.twitter.com/APnsQoPMkL— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) October 3, 2023
Sky Italia reports for its part that 18 lifeless bodies have so far been removed from inside the coach, which caught fire, and many other people are injured.
The authorities have activated the protocol for major emergency situations, which stipulates that all emergency reception units of hospitals are available, as well as the mobilization of staff from free shifts.
