Bus crash in a Venice, Italy kills at least 21 people

Italian state police at the scene of a passenger bus crash near the city of Venice, Italy. The bus fell from an elevated road late on Tuesday killing at least 21 people while 15 passengers survived. Photo / Italian State Police via AP

A bus carrying foreign tourists including Ukrainians crashed near the Italian city of Venice when it fell from an elevated street on Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring 18 others, authorities said.

Four of the injured were in serious condition following the accident in the Mestre borough, on the mainland opposite the historic old city of Venice, said Renato Boraso, a Venice city official. Two of the dead were children, Venice prefect Michele Di Bari said.

Boraso confirmed that some of the victims are Ukrainians, and said the bus was bringing tourists to a camping site.

Un’immane tragedia ha colpito questa sera la nostra comunità.
Ho disposto da subito il lutto cittadino, in memoria delle numerose vittime che erano nell’autobus caduto.
Una scena apocalittica, non ci sono parole. pic.twitter.com/APnsQoPMkL

— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) October 3, 2023

Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the scene of the crash was “apocalyptic” and that he had already declared the “city’s mourning” for the “numerous victims” who were on the bus.

According to local media, the bus fell a few metres close to Mestre’s railway tracks, where it caught fire. Emergency crews were on the scene.

Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed her “deepest sorrow”.

Forty ambulances were sent to the scene and the railway line to Venice was closed temporarily before being reopened, but operator Trenitalia said services were subject to lengthy delays and cancellations.

The cause of the accident remains unclear at this stage.