French bus carrying school children crashes, killing 2

Developing story first seen 3 hours ago

DW · 3 hours ago

New details from prosecutors say the bus was carrying 43 passengers, including 15 minors, when it crashed near Lent in eastern France on Friday morning. Two people, a child and a young adult, were killed and 16 were injured; three of the injured were reported to be in a serious condition.

The bus was travelling from Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse and reportedly left the road at about 7 a.m., crossed into the opposite ditch and hit a tree. The driver was hospitalised and had not yet been questioned, while prosecutors opened an investigation into homicide by vehicle; the cause of the crash remains unclear.

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In short

Prosecutors say 43 people were aboard the bus.
Two people died and 16 were injured.
Investigators have not established why it left the road.

How this story developed

55 minutes ago A bus carrying schoolchildren crashed into a tree near Lent in eastern France on Friday morning, killing two people, a child and a young adult. Sixteen others were injured, including three seriously, and the cause of the crash was not known.
58 minutes ago New details from prosecutors say the bus was carrying 43 passengers, including 15 minors, when it crashed near Lent in eastern France on Friday morning.

6 Nov, 11:15New York Post France bus carrying school kids crashes, killing 2 and injuring 16
6 Nov, 11:15DW French bus carrying school children crashes, killing 2

Full account

An intercity bus carrying passengers that included schoolchildren crashed near the town of Lent in eastern France on Friday morning, killing two people: one minor and one young adult, according to regional authorities. Sixteen others were injured, three of them seriously.

The bus left the road and came to rest in a ditch. Lent’s mayor, Yves Cristin, told BFMTV that it struck a tree at about 7 am local time. He said the road was slightly damp and described the stretch as having no particular difficulties, but the cause of the crash was not known. A photograph cited by another report also showed the vehicle off the road in a ditch.

The prefecture said emergency services and police were sent to the scene. One account put the response at about 100 firefighters and 50 police officers, and said the road nearby was closed. A local community hall was opened for people affected by the crash. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he was travelling to the site; Education Minister Édouard Geffray expressed sympathy for the victims’ families.

Prosecutors said the bus had 43 passengers, including 15 minors, and was travelling between Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse. They opened an investigation into deaths caused by a vehicle. The driver was taken to hospital and had not yet been questioned, according to one report. The accounts do not establish why the bus left the road.

Where outlets differ

From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:

Both reports give the same death toll and total number of injured, but the first specifies that three people were seriously injured; the second also reports three serious injuries, attributing the details to the prefecture.

The first report includes the mayor’s account of the crash, the estimated emergency response, road closure, community hall and investigation details. The second focuses more on the authorities’ initial statements and notes that passengers included children travelling to local middle and secondary schools.

The first describes the service as travelling between Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse and gives passenger numbers. The second calls it an intercity bus but does not provide the route or passenger count.