A tragic bus crash near the Porte-Puymorens ski resort in southern France claimed the lives of at least two people and left 33 others injured, seven of them critically, on Sunday evening.
The bus, carrying 47 passengers, struck a cliff under unclear circumstances, according to local authorities.
The collision caused severe damage to the bus, with images from emergency services showing its right side partially crushed and the windshield shattered. The regional administration said a preliminary investigation suggested the bus had collided with the cliff, but the exact cause is yet to be determined.
As per the news agency AP, the rescue operation involved over 120 personnel from France, neighboring Andorra, and Catalonia in Spain.
Helicopters were also deployed to assist in transporting the injured. Catalonia’s emergency services reported that the bus had departed from L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, near Barcelona.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident, as the region mourns the loss and grapples with the aftermath of the accident.