Firefighters work on the site of a bus accident on October 03, 2023 in Mestre, near Venice.
At least 21 people, including two kids, suffered fatal injuries in a bus accident in Venice on Tuesday evening, October 3. Italian officials were still looking into what caused the tragedy.
The Italian fire department has not yet determined what caused the collision that occurred on Tuesday in Mestre, which was characterized as an "apocalyptic scene." Among the fatalities was the bus driver, 40-year-old Alberto Rizzotto. Eighteen others were wounded.
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Overheated Battery?
Fire officials in Italy have indicated they would investigate the possibility that the bus' overheated battery fueled the blaze. The bus was reportedly electric, as claimed by the bus company's website.
According to Sky TG24, via CNN, Provincial Fire Brigade Commander Mauro Lungo said that when batteries overheat, "critical issues" occur. He claims that the rescue attempt was delayed on Tuesday due to worries about the batteries.
Meanwhile, the Venice public prosecutor launched a probe into the collision. The top prosecutor for the Venice municipality, Bruno Cherchi, is in charge of the inquiry into the event in Mestre, as per a spokesman from the prosecutor's office who spoke to CNN.
The video that was sent to the police is being analyzed to see whether any other cars were involved or if the driver had any kind of medical emergency.
Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro told local TV broadcaster RAI that the bus was crowded with people going home from work in Marghera, a city close to Venice. "It completely went off the road, it flew off the bridge."
Reportedly, the crash happened on an overpass connecting Mestre with Marghera and the A4 highway. The bus fell through a wall of the flyover and landed between a warehouse and the rails of the Mestre station below for unknown reasons.
Bus company CEO Massimo Fiorese claimed to have viewed the video of the bus' last seconds before the accident. He told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, via Reuters, that footage showed the single-decker bus slowing down to the point that it seemed "almost stationary" before smashing through the railing and flipping over.
Sympathy for Victims, Their Families
The Italian Senate, the country's upper chamber of parliament, observed a moment of silence on Wednesday morning, October 4, for the victims of the tragedy. Both the president and the prime minister of the nation offered their sympathies following the tragedy.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni posted on X, "I express my personal and the Government's deepest condolences for the serious accident that occurred in Mestre. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their family and friends."
French President Emmanuel Macron also wrote: "Our thoughts this evening are with the Italian people, with the families and loved ones of the victims of the terrible tragedy in Venice."
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