AT LEAST 21 people including two children are dead after a bus fell 10 metres off an overpass onto a train track and burst into flames.
The bus crashed through a barrier and landed on the tracks of Mestre station near Venice just before 8pm tonight.
The horrific aftermath of the accident
The overturned bus in Mestre
Footage of emergency services below the overpass
LUIGI BRUGNARO/UNPIXSVenice is now in official mourning[/caption]
The death toll has risen to 21, with 12 more injured and up to 5 people missing.
Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro said: “A huge tragedy struck our community this evening.
“The bus involved in the accident was going from Venice to Marghera, full of people returning home from work.
“It went completely off the road and flew off the bridge.
“I immediately declared the city to be in mourning, in memory of the numerous victims who were on the fallen bus.
“An apocalyptic scene, there are no words.”
The railway line between Mestre and Venice has been suspended following the horror accident.
Are you in Mestre? Email Harry Goodwin: [email protected]
Italian PM Giorgia Meloni said: “I express my deepest condolences, my personal and that of the entire government, for the serious accident that occurred in Mestre.
“My thoughts go to the victims and their families and friends.
“I am in close contact with the mayor Luigi Brugnaro and with the minister Matteo Piantedosi for the news on this tragedy.”
More to follow
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
