VENICE: At least 20 people were killed in a coach crash on Tuesday near Venice in northern Italy, Western media reported.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro told media that another 40 people are believed to be injured in the bus accident terming it a terrible tragedy.
In a post on social media platform X he said that immediately mourning has been ordered in the city in memory of the bus accident victims.
Un’immane tragedia ha colpito questa sera la nostra comunità.
Ho disposto da subito il lutto cittadino, in memoria delle numerose vittime che erano nell’autobus caduto.
Una scena apocalittica, non ci sono parole. pic.twitter.com/APnsQoPMkL— Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) October 3, 2023
According to local media, the coach fell close to railway lines after skidding off a road in the district of Mestre, which is connected to Venice by a bridge.
The reason of the road accident was still not known.
According to Italian media 18 bodies have so far been recovered from the wreckage after the coach caught fire.
Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni also expressed her deepest condolences at the tragic bus crash. “My thoughts are with the victims and their families and friends. I am in close contact with the Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and with the Minister (of the interior) Matteo Piantedosi to follow the news on this tragedy”, she said.
