Venedig: Viele Tote bei Busunglück – »Ein apokalyptisches Szenario«

21 Tote und mindestens 15 Verletzte, darunter zwei Kinder – so lautet die schreckliche Bilanz eines schweren Busunglücks in Norditalien.

„Ich bin sprachlos, es ist eine apokalyptische Situation“, äußerte der Bürgermeister von Venedig, Luigi Brugnaro, kurz nachdem der Unfall am Dienstagabend bekannt wurde.

Among the already identified deceased individuals, there is a German citizen in addition to the Italian driver, as stated by a spokesperson from the mayor’s office. Additionally, among the injured individuals, there is a German citizen along with a French person, a Croatian person, and three Ukrainians, according to an employee from the city administration who spoke to the news agency AFP. The Austrian news agency APA also reported two injured individuals from Austria. According to the information provided, five of the injured individuals are still in critical condition.

Dutzende Feuerwehrleute und 40 Rettungswagen waren im Einsatz. Die Feuerwehr benötigte Stunden, um die Businsassen aus dem verunglückten Fahrzeug zu holen. Der Vorgang sei »sehr komplex« gewesen, hieß es. In den frühen Morgenstunden wurde dann das Buswrack geborgen und abtransportiert.

On Tuesday, shortly after 7:30 p.m., the bus veered off the road while crossing a bridge, broke through a guardrail, and plummeted more than ten meters. The accident occurred near the railway line connecting the towns of Mestre and Marghera, which are part of Venice.

Methangaszufuhr als erschwerender Faktor

The investigation into the gas-powered vehicle catching fire will now be conducted. The Venice prosecutor’s office has initiated inquiries. The analysis of the surveillance camera footage from the bus will be crucial in this regard.

The bus caught fire after coming into contact with electrical wires, according to the newspaper „Corriere della sera“. According to Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, the supply of methane gas was a „contributing factor“, which caused the fire to spread quickly. He expressed concern that the number of casualties would increase, in an interview with the state broadcaster Rai1.

According to the news agency Ansa, the Catholic Patriarch of Venice, Francesco Moraglia, was present at the scene of the tragedy. There, he blessed the mortal remains of the victims, which were lined up under white sheets.

The bus driver – experienced and reliable.

Inzwischen wurden zudem Details zu dem Fahrer bekannt: Italienischen Medien zufolge handelt es sich um den 40-jährigen Alberto R. aus der Provinz Treviso, der bei dem Unfall ebenfalls ums Leben kam. Er soll seit mindestens fünf Jahren als Busfahrer gearbeitet haben und wird als erfahren beschrieben.

According to the sender Rai, R. was employed at the company „Martini Bus“, which had rented out the accident vehicle to the company „La Linea“.

The reason why the vehicle veered off the road is unknown. So far, there are only hypotheses, such as the possibility that the driver may have suddenly felt unwell. It was mentioned that he had started his shift 90 minutes before the accident. „The bus was new, and the driver was very capable,“ said a spokesperson from „La Linea“ to the newspaper „Corriere del Veneto“.

According to the speaker, 16 passengers had reserved a seat for the trip to a campground in Marghera, „but apparently fate decided that a few more would join.“

On board the bus were day trippers who wanted to return to the mainland in the evening after visiting the old town. Many tourists visiting Venice only stay for a few hours in the lagoon city and then return to the mainland in the evening. Venice receives over five million visitors every year. During peak season, there are often more than 100,000 visitors in the city at the same time.