Venice, Italy – In a heart-wrenching incident that unfolded near Venice, the identities of the 21 victims, including nine Ukrainian nationals, a German toddler, and a pregnant Croatian woman on her honeymoon, have been solemnly confirmed. This harrowing catastrophe has cast a glaring spotlight on Italy’s deteriorating road infrastructure.
This horrific coach crash, ranking as the second most fatal in the country over the past decade, claimed the lives of a Romanian family of four, a Portuguese couple in their mid-50s, two German nationals aged 28 and 32, a South African woman, and the Italian driver. Tragically, among the deceased were five children, with the youngest just 15 months old. Fifteen individuals, including three children, were admitted to hospitals with various injuries, with five still in critical condition.
The ill-fated journey involved newlyweds, 20-year-old Antonela Perkovic and 25-year-old Marko Bakovic from Croatia, who embarked on an Italian road trip for their honeymoon, with Venice as their final destination following stops in Rome, Florence, and Bologna. Tragically, Perkovic, who was six months pregnant, lost her life in the crash, while Bakovic remains among the injured.
The tragic incident occurred when the 38 passengers aboard an electric-powered bus, merely a year old, were en route from central Venice to the Hu camping park in Marghera. The vehicle breached a guardrail before careening over an overpass and plunging 15 meters, engulfed in flames near the Mestre station’s train tracks.
Initial speculation revolves around the actions of the driver, 40-year-old Alberto Rizzotto, who had a clean record. The Venice prosecutor, Bruno Cherchi, noted that there were no signs of braking or contact with other vehicles. Video footage displayed the bus sliding along the guardrail for approximately 50 meters before veering off the overpass to the right. Cherchi added that the road’s initial uphill incline did not permit high speeds, further deepening the mystery.
The investigation has focused on the guardrail itself, with concerns raised about a two-meter gap in the rusting barrier. Domenico Musicco, the head of an association for road accident victims, expressed that the tragedy might have been averted with the presence of modern guardrails. He criticized the lethargic pace of Venice council’s plans to install New Jersey concrete barriers, stating that the works had not yet reached that section of the road.
Venice’s councillor for transport, Renato Boraso, countered these claims, asserting that the “hole” was originally part of the design for security and service. He argued that the guardrail’s integrity should not be solely to blame for the catastrophic outcome.
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s transport minister from the far-right Lega party, entered the debate by implicating the electric battery and methane gas as potential factors behind the accident. This debate on culpability has ignited fresh scrutiny of Italy’s aging road infrastructure, reminiscent of the Morandi Bridge collapse in Genoa in August 2018, which claimed 43 lives.
Domenico Musicco contended that Italy’s road infrastructure is in dire need of maintenance and modernization. Carlo Sorgi, a retired magistrate, concurred, emphasizing the poor maintenance of the guardrail and the broader issue of insufficient road upkeep in Italy.
While some funding from the Covid recovery fund is allocated for roadworks, it appears that bureaucratic inefficiencies and slow progress continue to plague Italy’s infrastructure projects, leaving the nation grappling with the consequences of its aging roads.
In this somber moment, as we reflect on this tragic incident, we are reminded of the pressing need for comprehensive reforms and investments to ensure the safety of Italy’s roads, preventing such heart-wrenching events in the future.
