Rome [Italy], October 5: The cause of a tourist bus crash near Venice that killed 21 people and injured 15 others remains a mystery, the mayor of the Italian lagoon city said on Wednesday.
The bus broke through a barrier, plunged 15 metres off a bridge and exploded in flames. The vehicle had been carrying tourists from the historic centre of Venice to a campsite in nearby Marghera on Tuesday evening.
Among the 21 fatalities was the bus driver, a 40-year-old Italian, who was known for his professional work, according to his colleagues.
"We don't understand how this could happen," Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said.
The public prosecutor's office launched an investigation. The authorities hope that images from surveillance cameras will shed light on the tragedy.
It is speculated that the driver may have lost control due to a sudden health issue, but authorities say other possibilities have not been ruled out.
A camera in the bus may also have recorded the events and rescue workers are still searching for it amongst the burned-out wreckage. The bus was said to have been powered by electric batteries and the driver reportedly had several years of experience. The bus belongs to a company called La Linea Spa, and was chartered from a campsite in Marghera.
"What we know is that there is a fixed camera on the bridge. From what I have seen in the pictures, you can see the bus coming at less than 50 kilometres per hour. You can see the brake lights come on. So it was braking," said the bus company's CEO, Massimo Fiorese, in comments to Italian broadcaster Rai.
"Then you see the vehicle leaning against the guardrail, flipping over and falling off." Of the fatalities, only nine victims have so far been identified, the president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, wrote on Facebook.
Officials cautioned it could take some time before all the dead are conclusively identified.
Hospitals throughout the region are treating the 15 people who were injured, with some of them in intensive care.
Authorities said among the causalities were citizens of Ukraine, Germany, Spain, Austria, France and Croatia.
Brugnaro said he had received condolences from all over the world. Flags were flying at half-staff in front of state buildings on Wednesday.
Source: Qatar Tribune