A bus crash near Italian city of Venice kills at least 21 people, including Ukrainian tourists
At least 21 people have been killed after a passenger bus plunged from a overpass near Venice in an “apocalyptic” accident, according to Italian authorities.
The vehicle, which was carrying people returning from work, was travelling from Venice to Marghera when the shocking accident took place at the overpass in Mestre on Tuesday evening.
“It completely went off the road, it flew off the bridge. It was a bus; it was a highway. We are in mourning,” Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro told Italy’s national broadcaster RAI.
Morris Ceron, general director of the municipality of Venice, told RAI that children were among the victims of the crash and that the bus was believed to have foreigners aboard as it headed towards a campsite.
Luca Zaia, president of Italy’s Veneto region, called the bus crash “a tragedy of enormous proportions” and also confirmed that “the victims and injured are of various nationalities, not just Italians.”
He said that more than 20 ambulances had been used at the scene and also the Treviso air ambulance. The injured were taken to hospitals in Mestre, Mirano, Padua and Treviso.
Prime minister offers condolences
Prime minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media to express her condolences and said she was following the developments.
“Our thoughts go out to the victims and their family and friends,” she said.
“I am in close contact with Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and Minister Matteo Piantedosi to follow the news on this tragedy.”
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar4 October 2023 04:45
Bus was carrying tourists from at least four nations
At least five Ukrainians and one German national were on board the bus that crashed off an overpass near Venice in northern Italy and caught fire on Tuesday.
The bus was also carrying passengers from France and Croatia, Italian news agency ANSA reported.
“The bus is totally crushed. The firefighters had difficulty getting a lot of the bodies out,” Venice’s prefect Michele Di Bari told Sky Italia television. He said two children were among the victims.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar4 October 2023 04:10
Images from scene of fatal Italian bus crah
Mike Bedigan4 October 2023 04:08
‘Took one hour to extract bodies’, says firefighter
At least 21 people, including two children, were killed and 18 suffered injuries as a bus crashed in Mestre, Italy across the Venetian Lagoon from old Venice.
The bus was carrying foreign tourists, including Ukrainians, when it fell from an elevated street on Tuesday, authorities said.
“The people in the bus found themselves surrounded by flames, “ said Mauro Luongo, commander of the Venice firefighters team.
“The scene we found was terrible. It took about one hour to extract some of the bodies.”The death toll is likely to rise as four people were in serious condition following the accident.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar4 October 2023 04:05
Italian news outlet RAI said that specialists in paediatrics, cardiac surgery, neurology and general surgery had come to Mestre from Chioggia to assist doctors with the victims of the crash – all of whom have suffered from trauma and serious burns.
Mike Bedigan4 October 2023 03:08
President of the Veneto Region , Luca Zaia, said that flags in all regional offices in Veneto would be displayed at half mast on Wednesday as a sign of public mourning, following the crash.
“I also invite all municipalities and local authorities to adopt this form of condolence for the victims and closeness to the wounded,” he said according to Italian news outlet RAI.
Mike Bedigan4 October 2023 02:03
At least 21 dead after passenger bus plunges off bridge near Venice
Shocking accident took place at the bridge in Mestre on Tuesday, say officials.
Graeme Massie3 October 2023 22:45
Venice bus crash
Welcome to a live blog covering a bus crash near Venice, Italy, that has left more than 20 people dead.
Graeme Massie3 October 2023 22:43