Bus crash in Spain - at least 14 students dead

dixiefly

This is on the independent website but doesnt seem to be reported anywhere else.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/at-least-14-dead-after-bus-carrying-international-students-crashes-in-spain-34556169.html

At least 14 dead after bus carrying international students crashes in Spain
Gerard Couzens
PUBLISHED
20/03/2016 | 09:160 COMMENTSSHARE
2
AT LEAST 14 people are reported dead in a coach crash near the eastern Spanish city of Tarragona.



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The coach is reported to have been carrying Erasmus students from several different countries who had been attending the annual Las Fallas festival in Valencia.

The accident happened around 6am today as the vehicle - carrying around 60 passengers - collided with a car and overturned on the AP-7 motorway.

The coach was heading to Barcelona from Valencia three hours south of the Catalan capital.

The crash happened near Freginals, a picturesque town around 60 miles south of Tarragona.

Unofficial sources quoted by Spanish media said there were 14 fatalities and several people injured.

There are reported to be 50 students on the bus when it crashed.

Nearly 20 fire crews are said to be working at the scene to free casualties trapped inside.

Seven ambulance crews have also been sent to the area.

The motorway, which runs along the country’s east coast, has been partially shut.

Emergency services in the area tweeted: “Emergency plan in place for the coach crash with fatalities on the AP7 at Freginals.”

The coach involved in the accident belongs to a firm based in Mollet del Valles a half-drive north west of Barcelona.

The nationalities of the dead and injured are not yet known.

The students travelling in the coach that crashed this morning near Tarragona are said to have been studying at Barcelona University.

Initial local reports said most were Erasmus students and there were several nationalities among the dead.

Josep Roncero, mayor of Freginals which is the nearest town to the scene of the crash, confirmed there were 14 dead.

The number of injured is said to be "high."

The coach is understood to have smashed through a motorway central reservation after colliding with a car.

Mars Bar

They have my sympathies as I've also experienced being in a bus crash. It's the overturning that does the damage as seatbelts tend not to be worn. Thankfully we got stuck in a wall and stayed upright!

RHJ

This post has been deleted.

Samaris

Yikes, how awful.

I know 24hr news and all that, but I can't help thinking it does little good to broadcast this sort of thing before the dead are known. Imagine how families with children who might be involved are feeling, trying to find out what has happened and if their son or daughter is injured or dead.

snubbleste

Mars Bar wrote: »

They have my sympathies as I've also experienced being in a bus crash. It's the overturning that does the damage as seatbelts tend not to be worn. Thankfully we got stuck in a wall and stayed upright!

And how did the wall feel?

snubbleste

At least 19 dead and 25 injured after bus carrying 43 Egyptians overturned on road between Medina and Mecca. The passengers included two children.

International passengers! http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/19/many-egyptian-pilgrims-killed-in-saudi-arabia-bus-crash

It comes just days after 16 Palestinian pilgrims were killed when their bus crashed in a remote southern area of Jordan.

This is shocking. Ban buses.

Shannon757

snubbleste wrote: »

International passengers! http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/19/many-egyptian-pilgrims-killed-in-saudi-arabia-bus-crash


This is shocking. Ban buses.

Totally. Never hear of crashes with other forms of transport :rolleyes:

snubbleste

Shannon757 wrote: »

[/B]
Totally. Never hear of crashes with other forms of transport :rolleyes:

Exactly, they are clearly killer machines.

Mars Bar

snubbleste wrote: »

And how did the wall feel?

Well it's looking in better shape now than it did before the crash as it had to get a bit of a facelift. Although the memorial crosses for the two killed in it gives it a sombre look.

Mr. CooL ICE

Mod:

Have had to delete some 'joke' posts...

14 people died ffs. A bit of cop on would go a long way.

Lady is a tramp

The Independent has confirmed that Irish students were on board ... doesn't say if they were among the dead/injured.

Niemoj

"A spokesman for Emergencies Catalunya said the others were from Peru, Bulgaria, Poland, Palestine, Japan, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Italy, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland."

Wow that's a lot of different nationalities. May all those lost RIP.

Herb Powell

A really good friend of mine from Germany is over there on Erasmus atm and was planning on going on some trip around now. Fucck.