Venice bus crash: Victims still unidentified almost 24 hours on
In the realm of forensic science, the mysterious code of DNA may soon reveal the identities concealed within the tragic tale of 21 souls who, lacking personal documents, met their fate in the ill-fated electric bus plunge—a story recounted by the solemn Bruno Cherchi.
On a moonlit Tuesday evening, an electric bus, a modern marvel, shattered the confines of reality. It crashed through a barrier like a celestial comet, plunging into the abyss of Mestre—a place connected to Venice by an ancient bridge of secrets.
Amidst the shadow of despair, the echoes of sorrow revealed a heartbreaking truth. Three cherubic faces, including an innocent infant, became entwined in the narrative of tragedy, their stories left tragically unfinished.
The ill-fated bus, akin to a nomad's ark, carried 39 wanderers from the heart of Venice towards an unknown destination. What should have been a journey of discovery turned into an odyssey of despair.
Mayor Luigi Brugnaro, a witness to the unfolding tragedy, could only offer words of lamentation in the face of an apocalyptic spectacle. The depths of his grief transcended the limitations of language itself.
CCTV's unblinking eye captured the bus, like a fleeting phantom, overtaking another vehicle before its dramatic descent, becoming a modern-day Icarus, plummeting from the mortal realm.
One brave rescuer bore witness to the cruelest of tales—a saga dominated by youthful protagonists with a few elders interspersed within the pages of heartbreak.
In the wake of the chaos, 15 souls emerged, wounded but still clinging to life, representing a symphony of diversity—Ukrainians, Austrians, Spaniards, and other foreign dreamers.
Among the injured were two adolescent souls, both aged sixteen, and two younger children, testaments to the indiscriminate hand of fate.
Two German brothers, aged seven and thirteen, found themselves entangled in a story of shattered bones and shattered dreams. Their parents, the guardians of their aspirations, now cast shadows in the night, and the boys sought solace in the words of counselors.
In the midst of this dark tapestry, a single ray of hope emerged: three or four survivors, brave souls who could recount the tale of that fateful night, shedding light on the enigma.
The clock struck 19:45, and the world paused in collective anguish as the electric behemoth met its tragic destiny. A rented chariot on a mission to ferry the curious souls of Venice to the distant shores of Marghera had transformed into an epic tragedy.
As witnesses looked on, the bus etched a trail of despair, its metallic limbs scraping against the guardrail, a 50-meter-long symphony of agony before its descent into darkness.
The fiery maw of the electric bus roared to life. Its batteries, like Prometheus's gift, ignited, complicating the task of rescue, as the flames dared heroes to venture closer.
In this symphony of despair, a 27-year-old Gambian worker, a modern-day Hercules, and a fellow companion were the first to arrive, plucking souls from the jaws of destruction, including a young girl who clung to life amidst the chaos.
Leonardo, a witness to the infernal ballet, heard the haunting sound of brakes, followed by the deafening crash. His heart beckoned him to assist, but fate had other designs. A friend and a policewoman, like vigilant sentinels, barred his path, guarding against the fiery cataclysm.
In the tapestry of tragedy, a riddle remained unsolved—why did the bus forsake the high road, careening downhill through the guardrail, with no evidence of the driver's attempt to halt the impending doom?
Alberto Rizzotto, the driver at the helm of destiny, a seasoned captain with seven years of service, left no clues on the road, no footprints in the sands of time, no sign of resistance against fate's cruel decree.
In his final digital dispatch, Rizzotto spoke of running a "shuttle to Venice," a journey that would forever be etched in the annals of sorrow.
The head of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, pondered the enigma, speculating that the driver may have succumbed to illness, surrendering the reins of control to an unpredictable fate.
Amidst the wreckage, the charred remains of the electric behemoth were retrieved by the brave firefighters, their valiant efforts a testament to human resilience in the face of tragedy.
A sanctuary for hearts shattered by grief emerged in the form of a reception point, where psychologists and psychiatrists stood as sentinels, offering solace to the families of the fallen.
In the corridors of power, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni voiced her nation's collective sorrow, as thoughts and prayers reached out to the victims and their circles of love and loss.
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