On October 3, at about 20:00, a bus drove off an overpass in Venice, broke through a fence, fell 10 meters from a railway station, and burst into flames: at least 21 people died, including 9 Ukrainians.
So far, all identification procedures have been completed: nine of the 21 dead were Ukrainian citizens.
In turn, the identification of the victims is still ongoing – five Ukrainian citizens have been hospitalized, but there may be more Ukrainians among the victims.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko told Yevropeiska Pravda that four Ukrainians were killed and four others injured in the accident.
First, Nikolenko confirmed in a comment to Espresso that five Ukrainians had died in the accident in Venice. In addition, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, three more people were injured. They receive the necessary medical care in the hospital.
“The Ukrainian Embassy in Rome and the Consulate General in Milan are already dealing with the accident that occurred at night on the A4 highway near Venice,” he said.
According to Nikolenko, Ukrainian consuls are monitoring the treatment of Ukrainian citizens and establishing contact with their relatives. They are also cooperating with Italian law enforcement to clarify all the circumstances of the accident.
The accident happened around 20:00 on an overpass. The bus broke through the parapet, fell 10 meters and burst into flames, causing some of the first victims to burn alive. The vehicle was running on methane, so it caught fire immediately after the impact.
The death toll is 21 people, including two children, 12 more wounded and several missing. Rescuers continue to search for passengers, so the number of victims may increase.
According to preliminary data, the bus was carrying a group of Ukrainians, as well as citizens of Germany, France and Croatia.
The accident caused the suspension of rail service between Mestra and Venice, as the bus fell near the tracks. The local health authority in Venice has activated a “serious emergency” protocol, which involves opening all hospital emergency departments and calling staff to work.
Firefighters and at least 50 ambulances were at the scene of the tragedy, reporting a large number of fatalities, and police are patrolling the area.
Tourists on the bus were heading to the Hu camping hotel in Margera. A shuttle service to Venice is available, departing directly from the hotel. Now the campsite is closed and does not make any statements.
Il pullman precipitato dal cavalcavia a Mestre, il punto in cui il bus ha sfondato il guardrail #ANSA pic.twitter.com/kyjsiX8u8k
– Agenzia ANSA (@Agenzia_Ansa) October 3, 2023
