A bus with numerous people on board crashed this evening from the Libertà overpass in Mestre, ending up on electricity cables after a 10 meter flight and catching fire. The flames spread quickly, fueled by the tank containing methane. The first to rush to the scene were unable to get closer due to the violence of the fire.
The railway was also involved in the accident and traffic was suspended.
21 people died (Prefecture data), some were recovered charred, 12 injured and some people are missing. Among the victims there are also two children.
Firefighters and ambulances are on site.
The bus of the “La Linea” company had been rented for its guests by a campsite in Marghera.
From an initial reconstruction, on the downhill stretch of the link road that leads from Mestre to Marghera and the A4 motorway the parapet broke through: the causes are to be ascertained.
The Local Health Authority 3 of Venice has activated the "major emergencies" protocol which provides for the making available of all hospital emergency rooms and the recall to work of reinforcement staff.
« An apocalyptic scene – said the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro who decreed the city's mourning – There are no words». Brugnaro received a phone call from the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who expressed his condolences.
"There are many dead, too many" are the words of a firefighter who left the bus recovery operations area for a few minutes. The area is patrolled by the police who do not let anyone in. About fifty ambulances attended.
THE RESCUE:
(Unioneonline/ss)