Two Dead, 16 Injured as Bus Carrying 43 Passengers Crashes in France

Two people, including a child and an 18-year-old man, have died after a passenger bus crashed in eastern France, leaving several others injured.

The accident occurred at about 7:00 a.m. on Friday in Lent, a town approximately 55 kilometres from the Swiss border. The bus was travelling between Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse when it reportedly veered off the road and struck a tree.

The Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor’s office said 43 people were on board, including 15 children. Three passengers sustained critical injuries, while another 13 suffered minor injuries.

Authorities identified the two fatalities as a young girl and an 18-year-old man. However, reports have differed over the girl’s exact age.

Lent Mayor Yves Cristin told French media that the bus left the road and crashed into a tree in a roadside ditch. He said he arrived at the scene shortly after the accident and found passengers in shock.

Cristin also described the damage to the vehicle, saying part of its side had been torn away, raising concerns about the severity of injuries among passengers seated in that section.

On the weather conditions, the mayor said there was some fog and the road was wet, although he reported no major difficulties at the time of the crash.

Fabrice Pannekoucke, head of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, said there was no clear explanation for the accident at the time of his remarks.

The prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the incident on suspicion of road homicide and aggravated road traffic injuries. The driver, who was also injured, was taken to hospital and had not yet been questioned by police.

Emergency services deployed medical helicopters to transport seriously injured passengers to a specialised hospital. More than 100 firefighters and 50 gendarmes were also involved in the rescue operation.

The local town hall was opened to provide shelter and support coordination between affected passengers and emergency responders.

French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the bus was not exclusively operating a school transport service, although many schoolchildren were among those travelling.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray expressed sympathy over the incident, describing accidents involving children as particularly difficult.

The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation.