Newsletters
At least two people were killed and 16 others injured when an intercity bus carrying schoolchildren crashed in eastern France on Friday morning, triggering a major emergency response involving firefighters, police and rescue helicopters.
The victims were identified as a minor and a young adult, while three of the injured were in critical condition, the Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor's office said. The accident occurred at around 7:00 a.m. local time (6:00 a.m. GMT) on the D22 departmental road near Lent, south of Bourg-en-Bresse, in the Ain department, according to local reports.
The bus was traveling between Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse with 43 people aboard, including 15 minors heading to school.
The vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a tree in a roadside ditch, Lent Mayor Yves Cristin told French media.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, with two helicopters deployed to assist the injured. The Ain prefecture activated its departmental crisis coordination center to organize the response and work alongside local authorities.
A neighboring municipality also arranged facilities to receive the families of those involved in the crash, while authorities urged residents to stay away from the accident site as rescue operations continued.
The driver was among those hospitalized and had not yet been questioned by investigators, according to prosecutors.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced that he was traveling to the scene following what he described as a serious bus accident.
Education Minister Edouard Geffray also expressed his support for the victims and their families, acknowledging that students were among those affected.
"My thoughts, and those of the government and the entire education community, are with the families," Geffray told reporters during a visit to a high school in the Paris region.
Prosecutors have opened an investigation into homicide by vehicle to establish what caused the bus to leave the road and determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
