Extremely serious road accident in Mestre where a bus fell from an overpass and ended up on the railway line below. At that point the vehicle caught fire, with the fire still raging. The number of victims is uncertain with the first estimate speaking of at least 20 deaths including two children, with over 40 people injured.
The bus accident in Mestre
The accident occurred around 8pm in via Elettricità, the bus apparently broke through the protections of the Vempa viaduct, ending up on the railway’s electrical pylons and then falling to the ground and catching fire after a flight of over 10 metres.
The fire and the victims
Rescue workers on site are still dealing with the fire, with firefighters trying to put out the flames. The methane vehicle was immediately engulfed in fire after the impact. The mobilization of medical aid was immediate, with Local Health Authority 3 of Venice activating the “major emergencies” protocol to make all hospital emergency rooms available, also calling reinforcement staff back to work. The railway line between Mestre and Venice has been suspended.
The comment of the Mayor of Venice and Matteo Salvini
“A huge tragedy struck our community this evening – wrote the mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro on his Facebook page – I immediately ordered the city to mourn, in memory of the numerous victims who were on the fallen bus. An apocalyptic scene, there are no words.” First comments also from the Ministry of Transport, with minister Matteo Salvini defining the incident as a “dramatic accident”.
Photo: Luigi Brugnaro via Facebook
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