At least 20 dead as Venice bus plunges from bridge

At least 20 people have died after a bus fell off a flyover near the Italian city of Venice, local officials say.

The bus broke through a barrier and plunged about 10m onto railway tracks in the district of Mestre on the Italian mainland, which is connected to Venice by a bridge, local media said.

Rescue workers are on the scene. Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said a "huge tragedy" had taken place.

"An apocalyptic scene, there are no words," he said on X, formerly Twitter.

A Venice city hall spokesman told AFP the victims included two children.

The cause of the accident is not yet known. Italian media reports said the bus caught fire after it crashed.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed condolences after the incident.

"I express my deepest condolences, my personal and the whole government, for the serious incident that took place in Mestre," she said.

"Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families and friends."