‘Several victims’ as school bus crashes in France - The Independent

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“Several victims” have been injured in a bus crash transporting school pupils in eastern France, according to education minister Edouard Geffray and local authorities.

French broadcaster BFMT TV initially reported two fatalities but a spokesperson for the civil protection agency told the broadcaster he could not confirm the deaths. The prefecture also told Reuters it could not confirm any deaths.

Images taken at the scene show a bus tilted over on the side of a road in what appears to be a ditch by a cluster of trees. Several people are seen surrounding the vehicle.

The mayor of Lent, Yves Cristin, said that two people were reported to be in cardiac arrest and the civil security spokesperson said that their condition was “very serious”, according to the outlet.

Cristin added that 70 people had been involved in the crash and that a community hall has been opened to provide care and shelter to crash victims.

The incident took place on Friday morning and transport minister Philippe Tabarot said that he was on his way to the scene following the “serious” crash.

According to the prefect and state services in the Ain, the incident involved an intercity bus route in the Lent area. Cristin said that the the bus “left the road and hit a tree in the ditch”.

“Several people have been injured,” read a statement on X. “The prefect has activated the departmental operations centre (COD) to coordinate the response of the various crisis management agencies.

“Emergency services and law enforcement are on the scene. Local mayors are also assisting with the rescue operation.”

The public has been asked to avoid the area and traffic diversions are in place.

Two helicopters have been deployed according to BFMTV.

Education minister Geffray has expressed his sympathy with those affected saying: “I cannot begin without first expressing my thoughts for these students and their families. For us, it is always a difficult experience when our students, when our children, are victims of accidents of this nature.”

More to follow on this breaking news story....