Two Dead, Three Critical After Bus Carrying 70 Crashes in Eastern France

Two people, including a child and a young adult, have died after a bus carrying approximately 70 passengers crashed in eastern France, local authorities have confirmed.

The accident occurred at about 7:00 a.m. local time on Friday in the town of Lent, north-east of Lyon, approximately 55 kilometres (34 miles) from the Swiss border.

According to the town’s mayor, Yves Cristin, the bus veered off the road before crashing into a tree in a roadside ditch.

Speaking to French media, the mayor said the vehicle was carrying about 70 people at the time of the incident.

The Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor’s office told BFMTV that three people were in critical condition, while another 13 sustained minor injuries.

Earlier reports from French Education Minister Édouard Geffray indicated that students were among those involved in the crash.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot also confirmed that he was travelling to the scene following the incident.

In a statement to reporters, Geffray expressed sympathy for the students affected by the accident, describing it as particularly distressing when children become victims of such incidents.

Images circulating in French media showed a blue-and-white bus tilted in a roadside ditch, with significant damage visible to its front section. Trees were also seen lining the road where the crash occurred.

Emergency services were deployed to the scene to assist victims, while a helicopter was mobilised to transport those with serious injuries to a specialised hospital for emergency treatment.

Authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash continue.