At Least Three Dead as Tourist Coach Crashes Into Cliff Face

Three people have tragically lost their lives, and at least 38 others sustained injuries after a tourist coach crashed into a cliff face in southern France.

The incident occurred near the Porte-Puymorens ski resort, with 47 individuals, including the driver, onboard the vehicle, according to the regional administration.

Seven passengers, including a four-year-old child, were hospitalized with serious injuries.

Preliminary investigations suggest the bus collided with the cliff due to a possible brake failure, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation.

Images from the local fire department show the bus pressed against the cliff, with its right side severely damaged and the windshield shattered.

Over 120 rescue personnel participated in the emergency response, including teams from neighboring Catalonia in Spain and Andorra. Helicopters were also deployed to aid the operation.

Catalonia’s emergency services confirmed via X that the bus had departed from L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, a town near Barcelona, Spain.

A witness named only at Laurent, an off-duty firefighter, told the Perpignan-based Indépendant news outlet: “We were driving behind. He [the driver] had been zigzagging for a kilometer and a half.

“It seemed like he was trying to rub the barrier, as if he wanted to lose speed, before crashing into the cliff.”

Jean-Philippe Augé, the Mayor of Porté-Puymorens, said: “This is a tragedy, and we have to be cautious about the human toll. It could rise overnight.

“What I can tell you is that the road in question, the RN320, is not known for being particularly accident-prone.

“It is narrow, of course, and the bend on the descent is a bit sharp, but until now it has never been the cause of accidents of this seriousness”.

Mr. Augé stated that a “psychological unit” had been established at his town’s holiday center to support survivors and their families.

The passengers on the coach had spent the day Christmas shopping in El Pas de la Casa, a ski resort in Andorra located approximately 150 miles from Barcelona.

A local emergency services spokesperson said: “Five helicopters are involved in an operation to rescue more victims.

“So far, three people have d!£d, and eight others are in intensive care in nearby hospital.”

Authorities reported that the injured four-year-old was among the casualties receiving intensive care.

The coach, returning to its home depot in Barcelona after a day trip to Andorra, was the sole vehicle involved in the accident.