AT LEAST 21 people, including two children, have died after a bus full of tourists plunged 50 from an overpass onto railway tracks in Venice.
The tragic accident happened when the bus hit a barrier and landed on electrified tracks at Mestre station before bursting into flames.
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At least 21 people died in a terrible accident in VeniceCredit: EPA
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A tourist bus hit a barrier at the Mestre station Credit: EPA
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Shocking pictures show the terrible consequences of the accident in which 21 people died
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Emergency workers spent hours removing bodies from the sceneCredit: LUIGI BRUGNARO/UNPIXS
Emergency crews spent hours removing the bodies, working overnight on the charred remains of the vehicle, which were finally removed from the scene early this morning.
The death toll rose to 21, with another 18 injured and up to 5 people missing.
A four-year-old girl is in danger and in intensive care, while a 50-year-old woman suffered severe burns.
Both the woman and the girl are Ukrainian citizens.
Among the other 16 injured are Ukrainian, German and French tourists.
Driver Alberto Rizzotto (40) from Treviso was among those who lost their lives in horror.
The Sun has learned that the bus was hired by a group of tourists camping in nearby Marghera.
The mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, said: “A great tragedy has struck our community tonight.
“The bus involved in the accident was going from Venice to Marghera, full of people returning home from work.
“He completely ran off the road and flew off the bridge.
“I immediately declared mourning in the city in memory of the numerous victims who were on the fallen bus.
– Apocalyptic scene, there are no words.
He added: “Several victims were foreigners, we found Ukrainian passports.”
A police spokesman said: “The bus had rented the Jolly camp in Marghera for its guests.
“There were tourists of various nationalities on the boat at the time of the accident. There were at least two minors with them.”
Luongo, the fire chief, said the cause of the accident was unknown, but “the impact ignited the electric batteries of the bus.”
The train line between Mestre and Venice was suspended after a terrible accident.
A passenger on a train further up the line told The Sun they were ordered off because of a “fire” – before later seeing news of the crash while stranded miles from their destination.
A British tourist said the accident left her stranded at Santa Lucia station in the middle of the Venetian lagoon.
Are you in Mestre? Email Harry Goodwin: [email protected]
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “I express my deepest condolences, my personal and the entire government’s, for the serious accident that happened in Mestre.
“My thoughts go out to the victims and their families and friends.
“I am in close contact with Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and Minister Matteo Piantedosi about the news of this tragedy.”
European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen wrote on Twitter/X: “My deepest condolences to the families of the victims and injured in the serious accident in Mestre.
“I am close to President Mattarella, President Meloni and Mayor of Venice Brugnaro at this moment of deep pain.”
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The bus crashed through the barrier and landed on the electrified tracksCredit: EPA
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The railway line was suspended after the incidentCredit: AFP
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The driver was among the victims of the accident at the Mestre stationCredit: AFP
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Source: HIS Education