Bus Crash in Eastern France Kills Two, Including a Child
The bus, carrying children to middle and high schools, went off the road and into a ditch near the small town of Lent. The transport minister went to the scene.
LENT, France, Nov 6 – A bus crash in eastern France on Friday morning killed two people, including a minor, and injured more than a dozen others, French officials said. Many of those on board were children on their way to school.
The local prefecture, which represents the national government in the Ain region, said one minor and one young adult had been killed. It reported that 16 people were injured, three of them critically.
Some early reports suggested that at least two children had died. The prefecture’s figures are the latest official count and may still change as rescue teams continue their work and authorities confirm the identities of those involved.
The crash occurred near Lent, a small town in a rural area northeast of Lyon, at around 7 a.m., as pupils were traveling to school. According to French media, the bus left the road, slid into a ditch, and struck a tree.
Images broadcast by the news channel BFM TV showed a blue-and-white bus tilted on its side in the ditch, surrounded by emergency workers and bystanders. The impact appeared severe, with part of the vehicle badly damaged.
The town’s mayor, Yves Cristin, said he arrived at the scene just minutes after the crash. He described a scene of shock and confusion as residents rushed to help before emergency crews took control.
“The side of the bus was torn off,” Cristin told BFM TV. He said those who had been seated on that side were likely to have suffered the most serious injuries.
There was initial confusion over what type of bus was involved. Cristin described it as a school bus, while the prefecture said it was an intercity bus operating on a regular route connecting towns in the area. BFM TV reported that the passengers included children traveling to nearby middle and high schools.
Authorities said they would continue to investigate the cause of the crash and provide updates as more information becomes available.
The two sides also gave different figures for how many people were caught up in the crash. Cristin said about 70 people had been affected. The prefecture put the number at around 40.
The town has opened its community hall to care for those who were hurt or shaken by the crash and to give families and witnesses a place to wait for updates.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on X that he was traveling to the scene following what he described as a serious bus accident. He said emergency services were working quickly to help those affected.
It was not yet clear what caused the bus to leave the road. Officials did not say whether other vehicles were involved, what the weather and road conditions were like at the time, or whether the driver had suffered a medical emergency. An investigation is expected to answer those questions.
Rescue teams worked at the scene throughout the morning, and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities have not yet said how many people were hurt or how serious their injuries are.
Crashes involving buses carrying children have shaken France before. In 2016, six teenagers were killed in the western town of Rochefort when part of a truck swung open and tore through their school minibus. In 2017, four children died when a train struck a school bus at a rail crossing in the southern village of Millas. And in 2008, seven children were killed when a train hit a bus taking them on a school trip in the French Alps.
Friday’s crash comes at a busy and tense time for the country’s leaders, who are already dealing with a wave of strikes and protests across France this week.
Officials said more details would be released as the investigation continues, and they urged people to avoid spreading unconfirmed information while families wait for news.
