Two people were killed and 16 others injured after a bus carrying school students crashed in eastern France on Friday morning.
The accident occurred in the town of Lent in the Ain region, northeast of Lyon and close to the Swiss border. The bus reportedly left the road and struck a tree before coming to rest in a roadside ditch.
The vehicle was carrying 43 people, including 15 minors, according to authorities. The two people killed were identified as a minor and a young adult, while three of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.
Emergency services rushed to the site following the crash, with helicopters deployed to assist in evacuating the injured. A departmental operations centre was activated to coordinate the rescue and emergency response.
The mayor of Lent, Yves Cristin, said the bus had veered off the road and crashed into a tree. The town hall was also opened to provide assistance and shelter to those affected by the accident.
France’s Education Minister Édouard Geffray expressed his condolences to the victims and their families, saying the incident was particularly distressing because students were involved.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he was travelling to the site to assess the situation. Authorities also asked members of the public to avoid the area as rescue operations and traffic diversions remained in place.
The exact cause of the crash has not yet been established, and an investigation is underway.
