More than 20 killed in horrific accident in Venice, several injured

(Patria) - At least twenty people, including two children, were killed on Tuesday, and several others were seriously injured when a methane-powered bus fell off a bridge in Venice and caught fire, AFP reported.

"A tragedy has struck our community," Mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on
Facebook, describing the scene of the accident as an "apocalyptic scene".

The accident caused "at least twenty deaths, including two children," said a spokesperson for the city council.

"At least ten people sustained injuries of varying degrees and were transferred to the hospital," he said, adding that rescue operations for other injured individuals were underway.

Firefighters said the bus caught fire after it veered off a bridge that bypasses the railway line and connects the Mestre and Marghera districts in the northern Italian city.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed "deep condolences".

According to the newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, the bus swerved off the bridge after breaking through a barrier and falling about 30 meters below near the railway tracks. The newspaper states that it caught fire after hitting power lines.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said that "the aggravating factor was the methane and the fire spread quickly".

"I fear the death toll will rise," he added.