Italy: At least 21 dead after bus falls from bridge in Venice

At least 21 people died after a bus fell from a bridge in Venice, Italy on Tuesday (Oct 3). The bus was carrying 40 people of which 21 died and 18 were injured, Venice councillor Renato Boraso said, adding, that the death toll could rise as several of those injured were in critical condition. Officials said the vehicle fell around 15 metres (50 feet) onto electricity lines and caught fire at around 7:45 pm (17.45 GMT).

Five of the victims were Ukrainians and one was German, said Venice's prefect Michele Di Bari, the local representative of the interior ministry, news agency Reuters reported. Firefighters said the bus caught fire after careening off a bridge linking the Mestre and Marghera districts. Further details are awaited.

In a post on Facebook, Venice's Mayor Luigi Brugnaro described the scene of the crash as an apocalyptic scene. "A tragedy has struck our community this evening," he said.

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Speaking to reporters, Brugnaro said some of the victims in "critical" condition were in Padova, and added that some people had burned.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her "profound condolences". "I am in contact with Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and (Transport) Matteo Salvini in order to follow the news of this tragedy," she said in a statement.

The cause of the accident is not yet known. Boraso said one line of enquiry was that the driver, a 40-year-old Italian who was among those killed, had taken ill before the crash.

(With inputs from agencies)

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