Italy: At Least 21 Dead in Bus Crash Near Venice

Facts

• At least 21 people were killed and at least 15 more were injured after a bus crashed near the northern Italian city of Venice late on Tuesday, local officials said.¹
• The bus reportedly crashed through the barriers of an overpass in the Mestre district before around 15 meters (49 ft) onto railway lines below.²
• Upon impact, the bus burst into flames. Witnesses reported trying to rescue victims but were prevented by the size of the fire; further reports stated that the scale of the blaze was exacerbated due to the bus being electric, ruling out earlier claims that the bus ran on methane gas.¹
• Three children, including a newborn baby, were among those killed. Local officials also said there were four Ukrainians, one German, and a woman whose nationality has not been ascertained among the dead.³
• The bus was carrying the tourists from Venice's Piazzale Roma to the campground. The Italian driver was also among those killed; he was said to be experienced, but local prosecutors said they are investigating whether he had fallen ill.⁴
• A number of foreign tourists were also among those injured, five of them seriously. The bus was reportedly taking people from Venice to a campsite in the nearby Marghera district.¹

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²Reuters, ³Guardian and ⁴Associated Press.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by France 24. While the cause of this tragic crash remains unknown, it's certainly reasonable to believe that the fire was started by the electric bus's batteries catching on fire. While earlier reports claimed that the bus ran on methane, it has now been proven that the bus ran on batteries that were susceptible to fires.
• Narrative B, as provided by Daily Mail. While the cause of this tragic crash remains unknown, it's believed that the driver had a medical episode in the moments that preceded the crash. Investigators are pouring over the closed-circuit TV footage to establish what in fact happened in those final moments.