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On Tuesday evening, a bus had an accident and fell from an overpass in the mainland Venetian district of Mestre. According to local media reports, at least 21 people were killed and several others were injured.
The vehicle crashed through the guardrails of the overpass before plunging nearly 30 meters and landing near a railway line, local news outlet Corriere Del Veneto reported. The bus also caught fire.
“An apocalyptic scene, there are no words,” said Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote He added on the social media platform X that he had declared a city-wide state of mourning in memory of the victims.
Photos from the crash site showed the bus upside down, partially crushed and emitting a cloud of smoke. Emergency services, including firefighters, climbed into the overturned vehicle using ladders and glowing flashlights and carried the victims away. Alarms sounded and a helicopter flew overhead, videos from the scene showed.
“There are many dead, too many,” said a firefighter as he walked away from the scene, according to Corriere Del Veneto.
Un’immane tragedia ha colpito questa sera la nostra comunità.
I disposto da subito il lutto cittadino, in memory delle numerose vittime che erano nell’autobus caduto.
An apocalyptic scene, no parole. pic.twitter.com/APnsQoPMkL— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) October 3, 2023
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tweeted extended its “deepest condolences” to the victims of the accident. She said she was in close contact with top officials in Venice.
Likewise, Italian President Sergio Mattarella called the mayor of Venice to express his condolences for “the very serious tragedy,” according to a opinion on social media from the President’s Office.
Although local media reported that the reason for Tuesday’s accident was unclear, the incident was reminiscent of the catastrophic bridge collapse in Genoa in 2018, in which vehicles plunged nearly 150 feet in heavy rain, leaving 43 people dead. This tragedy was caused by deteriorating infrastructure when a section of the bridge more than 200 meters long collapsed. Dozens of people, mostly executives and engineers responsible for maintaining the bridge, have since been charged with manslaughter and interfering with traffic safety.