On the night of October 3, near Venice, Italy, a bus primarily carrying international tourists was involved in a devastating accident, resulting in 21 fatalities and 18 injuries. While en route to a campsite near Marghera, the bus breached a barrier on an elevated roadway, plummeting several feet to an area near the Mestre railway tracks and subsequently igniting.
Michele Di Bari, the Venice prefect, confirmed that the deceased included two children, five Ukrainians, one German, and the Italian bus driver. Mauro Luongo, the team commander of Venice firefighters, remarked, “The scene we encountered was dire. It took about an hour to extract some of the bodies.”
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro was deeply affected by the incident, describing it as “an apocalyptic scene.” He conveyed his sentiments through a post on X, previously known as Twitter, stating, “A significant tragedy impacted our community this evening… There are no words.”
Four of the injured are in critical condition, and all were immediately taken to five regional hospitals following the 7:45 pm crash. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region, in a statement to RAI state television, expressed the challenge in determining the cause, noting the bus’s recent manufacture and electric operation. He added that the accident site was not previously flagged for any major issues.
Emergency services were active throughout the night, putting out the fire and retrieving bodies. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed her condolences to the families of the victims and highlighted her close communication with Mayor Brugnaro during this challenging period.
