On the evening of October 3, a major accident occurred near Venice involving a bus primarily transporting international tourists. The crash led to 21 fatalities and injured 18 individuals.
The bus was en route to a campsite in Marghera when it tragically fell from an elevated roadway, landing near the Mestre railway tracks. This was followed by an explosion.
The Venice prefect, Michele Di Bari, confirmed the diverse backgrounds of the victims, which included two minors, five Ukrainians, a German, and the Italian bus driver. Mauro Luongo, the commander of Venice firefighters, mentioned the challenges faced at the crash site, noting that the recovery of some remains required extensive time. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro described the event as significantly impactful. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), he conveyed the depth of the tragedy, stating, “Our community has experienced a substantial calamity… words are insufficient.”
Following the accident, the injured individuals were transported to five local hospitals, with four of them in critical condition.
The precise cause of the accident is yet to be determined. Luca Zaia, the governor of the Veneto region, during an interview on RAI state television, mentioned that the bus was electric and recently manufactured and thus it is unclear if mechanical factors were involved. He also emphasized that there were no prior accidents recorded at that particular location.
Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, expressed her condolences to the families impacted by the tragedy and affirmed her support for Mayor Brugnaro.