A dramatic accident occurred this Tuesday, October 3, 2023 in Venice. A bus fell off a bridge and burst into flames. Shortly before midnight, the death toll was 21, including two children.
“An immense tragedy has struck our community this evening.” It is with these words that the Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, announced on the municipality of Venice. “I immediately ordered the city to mourn, in memory of the many victims who were on board the fallen bus,” added the city councilor, referring to “an apocalyptic scene”. According to the mayor’s spokesperson, “at least 21 deaths, including two children” are to be deplored. It is known that the bus was carrying many foreign tourists. Franceinfo mentions the presence of Germans and Ukrainians.
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni quickly expressed her “deepest personal condolences and those of the government for the serious accident that occurred in Mestre”, specifying that she was “in close contact with the mayor of Venice”. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, also reacted on X (ex-Twitter): “A prayer for the victims and for those who are fighting for their lives.” The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, also had a word, on the social network, for the victims and their loved ones. “Our thoughts this evening are with the Italian people, the families and loved ones of the victims of the terrible tragedy in Venice,” he tweeted.
As of Tuesday evening, the cause of the accident had not yet been officially determined. According to Corriere della Sera, several hypotheses were put forward at the end of the evening to explain this tragedy. Among them, a fire on board and/or a health problem for the driver. The only certainty is that there seems to be no sign of braking on the road. Likewise, it was certain on Tuesday evening that the bus would have caught fire just after falling from a bridge onto a railway line below. “The aggravating factor was the methane fuel [of the bus], so the fire spread quickly,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
“The driver was 40 years old and experienced,” said Renato Boraso, municipal councilor in charge of transport in Venice. The driver of the damaged bus had worked for the company “for seven years”, he also said. He added: “We can’t rule out illness, but I’m sure the camera footage will tell us how this tragedy could have happened.”
