Tragically, a bus driver in Italy has lost his life after the vehicle carrying fans of a basketball team was targeted with stones. The attack, reportedly carried out by supporters of a rival team, SRS Sebastiani Rieti, took place on the highway near Rieti, as fans of Pistoia Basket were returning from a match.
The violence escalated when a large stone was thrown through the bus windscreen, striking one of the drivers. Raffaele Marianella, a 65-year-old man who was at the front of the bus but not driving at the time, succumbed to his injuries.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident as an “unacceptable and insane act of violence” and vowed that those responsible would face justice. The Minister of Sports, Andrea Abodi, echoed these sentiments, describing the perpetrators as “criminals who have turned into murderers and can never be called fans.” The president of the Italian Basketball Federation, Gianni Petrucci, also expressed his outrage, stating that this was not about the sport but about criminal behaviour.
A police investigation has been launched to identify and apprehend the individuals involved in this devastating attack.
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