[ad_1] At least 20 people are dead, and several others are wounded after a bus running on methane plunged off a bridge in Venice and caught fire on
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At least 20 people are dead, and several others are wounded after a bus running on methane plunged off a bridge in Venice and caught fire on Tuesday local time.
It’s understood children are among the dead.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro described the crash site as “an apocalyptic scene”.
“A tragedy has struck our community this evening”, he said in a statement.
The crash caused “at least 20 deaths, including two children,” a spokesman from the city hall said.
“At least 10 people have suffered injuries of varying degrees and have been taken to hospital,” he said.
Operations were swiftly carried out to rescue any others wounded.
Firefighters said the bus caught fire after careering off a bridge straddling a railway line and linking the Mestre and Marghera districts of the northern Italian city.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her “profound condolences”.
“I am in contact with Mayor Luigi Brugnaro and (Transport) Minister Matteo Salvini in order to follow the news of this tragedy,” she said in a statement.
According to Il Corriere della Sera newspaper, the bus swerved off the bridge after smashing through the barrier and fell near railway tracks about 30 metres (100 feet) below.
The newspaper said it caught fire after hitting some power lines.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said, “The aggravating factor was methane and the fire this spread rapidly”.
“I fear that the death toll will rise,” he added.
In July 2018, a bus carrying a group of some 50 holidaymakers back to Naples fell off a viaduct near the city, killing 40 people in all.
More to come …
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