At least 21 people, including two children and foreign tourists, have been killed and several others injured after a bus plunged off a bridge in Venice, Italy.

The bus, running on methane, plunged off the bridge 30 metres (100 feet) below before bursting into flames on Tuesday, October 3 night.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the ill-fated vehicle was returning from Venice’s historic centre to a camping site when the accident occurred around 1730 GMT (8:30pm local time).

‘A tragedy’ in Venice

“A tragedy has struck our community this evening,” mayor Luigi Brugnaro wrote on Facebook, describing the site of the crash as “an apocalyptic scene”.

According to Luca Zaia, the governor of the Venice region, the fatalities could increase as more than 20 people have been hospitalised.

“Efforts are on to extract and identify the bodies,” Zaia said. “The victims and the wounded include people of several nationalities, not just Italians.”

Among those dead include Ukrainian tourists as well as German and French citizens, according to local media. Among the injured are three Ukrainians, a Croatian, German and a French national.

Bus bursts into flames

Firefighters say the bus caught fire immediately after swerving off the bridge that extends across a railway line and linking the Mestre and Marghera districts of the northern Italian city.

Photos show the vehicle was overturned on its roof, with firefighters forced to wait for the bus’s battery to cool before moving it to search for additional victims.

– Condolences –

In a statement, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has sent her condolences to family and friends of the victims, expressing her “profound condolences”.

“I am in contact with mayor Luigi Brugnaro and (Transport) Minister Matteo Salvini in order to follow the news of this tragedy,” she says.

Although it has not been ascertained, Salvini says the accident could have been caused after the driver suddenly fell ill.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also issued his condolences.

“Our thoughts this evening are with the Italian people, the families and loved ones of the victims of the terrible tragedy in Venice.”