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At Least 21 Dead as Bus Carrying Tourists Plunges from Bridge in Italy

Officials stated that the vehicle plummeted approximately 15 metres (50 feet) onto electrical lines and ignited around 7:45 p.m. local time

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Sadaf Hasan
Sadaf Hasan
Aspiring reporter covering trending topics

ITALY. Venice: On Tuesday, a tragic incident occurred in northern Italy near Venice when a bus carrying tourists heading to a campground veered off an overpass, causing the loss of at least 21 lives and leaving 18 individuals injured.

In the Mestre neighbourhood, which has a bridge connecting it to Venice, the bus veered off the road and fell close to railway lines.

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The exact cause of the accident remained uncertain. Renato Boraso, a Venice city councillor, mentioned that one avenue of investigation is whether the 40-year-old Italian driver, who tragically lost his life in the incident, had suffered a medical ailment before the crash.

“It’s an appalling tragedy; the city is in mourning,” Boraso said on Sky Italia television.

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He went on to say that the bus had been carrying 40 passengers, with 21 fatalities and 18 injuries reported. There is a possibility that the death toll may increase, as some of the injured are in critical condition. According to Venice’s city hall, the injured individuals have been transported to nearby hospitals, with four of them in serious condition.

Officials stated that the vehicle plummeted approximately 15 metres (50 feet) onto electrical lines and ignited around 7:45 p.m. local time (1745 GMT).

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“It’s an apocalyptic scene. I am speechless,” Luigi Brugnaro,Venice’s mayor, wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.

Venice’s prefect Michele Di Bari, who serves as the local representative of the interior ministry, disclosed that among the victims, five were Ukrainian nationals and one was of German nationality.

Additionally, the bus had passengers from France and Croatia, as reported by the Italian news agency ANSA.

Late on Tuesday evening, rescue teams faced challenges while working to clear the bus wreckage, ensuring that no additional passengers remained trapped inside.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni conveyed her condolences, expressing in a statement that her government stands in solidarity with “the victims, their families, and their friends.”

Italy has witnessed several tragic bus accidents in recent years. In 2017, a bus transporting Hungarian students was involved in a fatal accident near the northern city of Verona, resulting in the loss of 16 lives. In 2013, a bus plunged off a viaduct in southern Italy, claiming the lives of 40 individuals.

Also Read: Tragic Bus Accident Claims 25 Lives, PM Modi and CM Shinde Offers Condolences

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