Boubacar Toure and his Nigerian flatmate Odion Eboigbe were two heroic Supermen on Wednesday after bravely rescuing the lives of victims in a sudden and calamitous crash in Venice.
Recall that parallel facts reported the fatal accident on Wednesday, which claimed over 21 lives in Venice, Italy.
The two friends were at their department when the thundering bus crash happened close to their department. Drawing their attention, they checked from their windows, assuming it’s an earthquake, but to their disappointment, it was the sound of the crash.
Moving into action, the two friends got to the scene and swiftly moved into a life-saving mood. According to reports, the two friends were able to save a mother and her baby, with the latter badly injured, among others.
Boubacar said, “We ran down to the spot where the bus was on fire, and I heard a woman screaming, ‘My baby, my baby. I managed to pull her through the window and then pull out her son, who was badly burned but still alive.”
“Passers-by were giving me other extinguishers, but nothing helped; we had to wait for the firefighters. So I pulled others to safety—a woman, a man, and a child. People were bleeding from their heads; there was so much blood.”
After spending the day in Venice’s historic center, the bus was transporting tourists back to a neighboring campground when it abruptly veered off the side of the road on Tuesday night. It broke through the barriers and fell a distance toward a railroad track, where it caught fire.
21 fatalities, at least. Most of the 15 injured people are still receiving intensive treatment. There were some children among the victims, including a newborn.
According to the Venice mayor’s office, the dead include citizens of seven nations, including Ukraine, Germany, Romania, and Portugal.
Odion Eboigbe, a Nigerian housemate, was with him as they helped others escape the bus. The bus is an electric-powered vehicle whose batteries are believed to have caught fire.
Speaking after his heroic adventure, Odion said, “We were able to save many, but unfortunately others died. I wasn’t scared; I didn’t think of my own safety because I saw people with their heads split open. Today my colleagues asked me, ‘What were you thinking when you went towards the flames?’ and I told them I just had to save the women and children.”
According to authorities, there was no indication that the bus abruptly braked. In fact, surveillance footage from the instant before the collision captures the car gradually ascending the flyover, then appearing to slow down before falling off the bridge and out to the side.
Seven years had passed since the driver, Alberto Rizzotto, started working for the bus company. The most likely reason, according to the officials, is that he experienced a sudden medical issue that caused him to lose consciousness.
The victims’ relatives have begun to arrive in Venice from other countries. Spanish, German, Croatian, and Ukrainian nationals are among those hurt.
Rescue personnel spent two hours putting out the fires and providing aid to the injured.
Due to the severity of the fire, some of the victims’ identities will need to be determined using DNA samples.
The incident has already sparked concerns about the condition of the overpass’s barricades, which were obviously rusted and old.
The director of an organization for victims of auto accidents, Domenico Musicco, referred to it as “a tragedy foretold.”
He told the news agency AFP, “Italian road maintenance is poor. Too little is invested in road safety. It is estimated that 30% of accidents are down to that.”