A bus carrying a group of tourists fell from a bridge near Venice late Tuesday killing at least 21 people, according to the regional governor.
Victims of the fatal crash included French, Croatian, German and Ukrainian citizens, as well as the Italian driver, local media reported.
The bus caught fire after falling from an overpass near the Mestre railway station on the mainland across from Venice. Two children were among the dead, Ansa newswire reported.
The passengers were returning to a campsite in the town of Marghera after visiting Venice, according to regional authorities.
While the cause of the accident remains unclear, daily Corriere della Sera reported on speculation of a sudden illness striking the driver. The electric bus plummeted from the overpass to an area near railroad tracks below with no sign of braking beforehand, Italian media reported.
Venice, which attracts millions of visitors from around the world, has seen a tourist boom in 2023, with about 2.5 million visitors in the first quarter of the year. The city recently approved a daily entrance fee in a bid to regulate the flow of tourists and to protect its ecosystem and cultural heritage.
At least 15 people were also injured in the crash, regional governor Luca Zaia said on Facebook.
The scene of the accident is one of the main connections between the Italian mainland and the historic city built across more than 100 islands.
“I am close to the families of the victims,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement.
--With assistance from Alberto Brambilla.
