Meet Boubacar and Odion, heroes who pulled survivors from burning bus wreck in Venice

It was during theevening hours whenBoubacar and his flatmate Odion Eboigbe were cooking dinner in their kitchen that they heard a sudden, thundering crash beside the apartment. They thought it was an earthquake, so the two ignored the noise until they heard one man screaming: 'A bus has fallen."

The two ran to the spot and saw a bus on fire. The 27-year-old Boubacar told BBC thathe heard a woman crying for help to save her baby. He said, "I managed to pull her through the window and then pulled out her son, who was badly burnt but still alive."

The incident occurred on Tuesday night when a bus carrying tourists from around the world, including Ukraine, Germany, Romania and Portugal was returning to a nearby campsite after a day in Venice smashed through the barrier and plunged several metres towards the railway track and burst into flames.

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According to reports, 21 people have been reported dead while some 15 people are injuredand are in intensive care. The injured include adults and children.

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

Describing the scenario, Boubacar explained how he grabbed the extinguisher from the bus to help quell the flames, but nothing helped, it wasn't enough.

He addedthat he pulled others to safety, a woman, a man and a child. Meanwhile, Odion said he was helping his friend pullothers through the wreckage of the mangled vehicle. "We were able to save many but unfortunately others died."

They added that once the emergency workers arrived, they helped the injured. The two haven't slept since the crash.

"If saving people makes you a hero, then maybe. But when somebody needs help because they're dying, you can't just walk away," said Boubacar.

The authorities claimed that the fire was so intense that they'd need DNA samples to identify the victims. The families of the deceased have started arriving in Venice. The officials claimed that there was no sign of braking by the bus, however, they said that the driver had a sudden medical problem that led him to lose control of the bus.

The head of an association for road accident victims, Domenico Musicco called the incident "a tragedy foretold." He told the news agency AFP that Italian road maintenance is poor and too little is invested in road safety. "It is estimated that 30 per centof accidents are down to that."

Venice has declared three days of mourning for the tragedy that has shaken the city.

(With inputs from agencies)

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