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A bus crash in eastern France has killed two people, including a child, and injured at least 16 others, local authorities have confirmed.
The accident happened at around 7:00 am on Friday in Lent, about 55 kilometres from the Swiss border. The bus was travelling from Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse when it left the road and hit a tree.
Lent Mayor Yves Cristin told French media that the bus “left the road and hit a tree in the ditch”. The bus was carrying 43 passengers, including 15 children, according to the Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor’s office.
One child and one young adult died in the crash. Three people are in critical condition, while another 13 sustained minor injuries. The driver was also injured and taken to hospital. However, police have not yet questioned the driver.
Mayor Cristin said he arrived at the scene shortly after the accident and found passengers in shock.
“The side of the bus was torn off, and clearly, the people who were on that side must have been seriously injured,” he told BFM TV.
He also said there was some fog and the road was wet at the time of the crash. However, he noted no major weather issues.
Fabrice Pannekoucke, head of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, added that authorities had not established the cause of the accident.
“At this stage, there are no particular explanations or interpretations that can be given,” he said.
Earlier, French Education Minister Édouard Geffray confirmed that students were involved in the crash. He described the incident as a painful tragedy, saying it was “always difficult when our children are victims of accidents of this nature”.
Emergency workers responded to the scene, while medical helicopters transported seriously injured passengers to a specialist hospital.
According to Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, more than 100 firefighters were also deployed. The local town hall opened to provide shelter and coordinate support with emergency services.
Tabarot travelled to the area as authorities continued their response. Investigations are expected to establish what caused the bus to leave the road.
