Children among 21 dead after Venice bus tragedy

CHILDREN have been confirmed as among 21 people who died when a bus plunged from an elevated road and burst into flames in a borough of Venice, Italy.

Firefighters and other emergency responders worked into the night, extinguishing the flames and extracting bodies.

The victims included at least four Ukrainians and a German citizen, according to Venice prefecture.

At least 15 were injured, including five people in a serious condition, local officials said. The seriously injured included French, Spanish and Croatian nationals.

At least two of the dead were children, Venice prefect Michele Di Bari said, adding that many of the people involved in the accident were "young".