A coach has plunged off a flyover in southern Italy leaving at least 36 people dead, rescue services say.
The coach hit several vehicles before smashing through a parapet and toppling down a steep slope near the town of Avellino, in the Campania region, the BBC reported.
At least 11 people have been injured, some of them seriously, the Italian news agency Ansa reported.
The coach was taking about 50 people, including children, back to Naples following a pilgrimage, reports say.
The cause of the accident is not clear.
TV footage showed smashed vehicles on the flyover and shrouded bodies lined up by the side of a road.
The driver of the coach is said to be among the dead.
"The situation is critical," leading fireman Pellegrino Iandolo told Italian television.
"Our men are working to save as many lives as possible."
A police spokesman told the French news agency AFP that the number of victims could not yet be confirmed.
"We are still pulling people from the vehicle," he said.
He added that the Naples-Bari motorway had been closed to traffic because of the accident.
Reports say the bus smashed through a guardrail on the flyover and dropped 30m (98ft), coming to rest in heavy undergrowth.
The injured have been taken to hospitals in Avellino, Salerno and Nola, Ansa said.
Social
-
Azerbaijan's Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources (MENR) has reported large-scale efforts to restore forests across the country, planting tens of thousands of saplings to expand forested areas. However, critics claim that the ministry simultaneously facilitates deforestation by leasing land to private companies.
-
On Sunday, December 22, changeable cloudy weather is expected in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. Drizzle is possible during the night and morning in some areas of the peninsula. Moderate southwest winds will prevail. The air temperature will be 5-8°C at night and 9-11°C during the day, according to the National Hydrometeorological Service of the Ministry of Ecology.
-
Baku, often called the "Caucasian Dubai," is increasingly known for systematic violations of residents' housing rights. During urban renovations and the construction of elegant new buildings, thousands of families in Azerbaijan’s capital have been unlawfully deprived of their homes. Many, recognizing the futility of resistance, settle for inadequate monetary compensation for their irreplaceable property. A minority, placing faith in the Housing Code, demand fair compensation from construction companies but often lose everything—both their homes and any form of recompense.
-
Azerbaijani team prepares to compete in three prestigious international Olympiads The preparation of young programmers representing Azerbaijan in international Olympiads continues successfully. In collaboration with Azercell, the Ministry of Science and Education, and the Institute of Education, the latest “Informatics Camp” was held at the Baku Higher Oil School.
Leave a review