Eyewitness after serious bus accident in Venice: “Screams turned into cruel silence”

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At least 21 people were killed in the devastating bus crash in Venice. The situation on Tuesday evening was described by the mayor as “apocalyptic”. Eyewitness accounts also indicate chaos.

“I heard a loud brake, I thought it was a train. Then the sound of a crash, a dull thud. I got scared and looked outside, saw smoke and heard people calling for help,” a man named Leonardo told Italian newspaper La Stampa. He was near a bar at the time of the accident and immediately rushed to the scene to assist.

Cries for help fell silent

«When I reached the bus, the shouting turned into a cruel, solemn silence that made my blood run cold. I wanted to help, but was stopped by my friend and a policewoman because the bus was still on fire and in danger of exploding,” he says.

Footage from eyewitnesses shows that people cannot approach the bus because of the fire and heat emanating from the burning body. “Help, they’re dying!” the screams can be heard in the videos. “There are too many, many dead,” said a firefighter who had to temporarily leave the accident scene.

Alberto M.*, who lives nearby, was immediately shocked when he heard the different helicopters. “Renovation work has been going on on this section of the viaduct for a few days. The road has been narrowed to one lane, but that is actually not dangerous,” he told the newspaper. He could not explain how the crash happened.

A large contingent of rescuers

Time seemed to have stood still near the accident site Tuesday evening. “I have never seen so many ambulances in the same place,” an employee of the Dining Room restaurant told “La Stampa”. The restaurant is located near the bridge from which the bus fell. According to official information, about 100 emergency services were on site.

Mayor one of the first on site

The Venice Public Prosecutor’s Office has now started an investigation. It must be made clear why exactly the La Linea bus fell into the depths.

Politicians were also shocked by the accident. Mayor Luigi Brugnaro (62) was one of the first on the scene. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. (An)

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Source: Blick