Venice crash: Horror as at least 21 people including two children die after coach crashes off an overpass and catches fire

At least 21 people including two children have died today after a coach crashed off an overpass near Venice in northern Italy. 

Officials said the vehicle veered off the road and fell 30 metres (98 feet) onto electricity lines before catching fire at around 7.45pm local time in the Mestre district - connected to Venice by a bridge. 

Eighteen bodies have so far been dragged from the wreckage after the coach caught fire, Sky Italia reported, while another 18 are believed to be injured. 

Mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'A huge tragedy struck our community this evening.' 

He added: 'An apocalyptic scene. I am speechless.' 

The bus was said to be carrying tourists from Eastern Europe from Venice back to their hotel at Marghera just minutes away from the crash site. 

It has since emerged that many onboard the bus were Ukrainian passport holders and were heading to a campsite where they were staying. 

German and possibly Bulgarian tourists were also thought to be among the victims, with theories emerging that the Italian driver of the bus suffered a 'medical episode' seconds before the tragedy. 

Venice police chief Marco Agostini told local media: 'There appears to be no brake marks on the asphalt so the theory of a medical episode is a possibility.'

Nearby hospitals went into 'emergency mode' and an urgent appeal for blood donors was issued. 

Five hospitals in the area in Mestre, Trevino, Dolo, Mirano and Padova have been put on emergency footing with casualty departments cleared of patients. 

One eyewitness, who gave his name as Leonardo, told Italian media: 'I heard a strong braking, I thought it was a train.

'Then the sound of the impact, a thud. I was alarmed and looking out I saw smoke and heard people screaming for help.

'As I ran and reached where I could see the bus, the screams turned into a horrifying deadly silence, which stopped my blood.'  

He added: 'I wanted to help but I was blocked by a friend of mine and a policewoman, because the bus was still on fire and at risk of explosion.

'I then remained there until help arrived, which arrived after about twenty minutes.'

Forty ambulances were sent to the scene and the railway line to Venice was closed temporarily before being reopened, but operator Trenitalia said services were subject to lengthy delays and cancellations. 

'The bus is totally crushed. The firefighters had difficulty getting a lot of the bodies out,' Venice's prefect Michele Di Bari told Sky Italia television.

Rescuers were still struggling to remove the wreckage of the bus late on Tuesday evening to make sure no more passengers were trapped inside.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences, saying in a statement that her government's thoughts were with 'the victims, their families and their friends.'

Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi said: 'The bus has fallen 30 metres and caught fire and what worsened the situation was that it was biomethane powered.' 

Shocking footage posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the vehicle in flames which huge plumes of smoke rising into the air while onlookers watch in horror. 

Images show crowds of emergency services attending the crash which has so far seen around 20 people dead.