France's interior ministry said all of the injured were children from the bus, between the ages of 8 and 17.
Authorities said the school bus entered the train crossing in the town of Millas when the barriers were down, and was hit from behind by a regional train. Witnesses said the collision cut the bus in half.
The crash happened nine miles west of Perpignan, near the Spanish border, as the bus was taking children between the college of Millas and the communes of Saint-Féliu-d'Amont and Saint-Féliu-d'Avall.
Rescuers had to dig through wreckage to get to the victims.
[upi.com]
14/12/17
At least four children have been killed and seven people seriously injured after a train crashed into a school bus at a level crossing in southern France.
ReplyDeleteThe bus was struck by the train in Millas about 18 kilometres west of the city of Perpignan, close to the Spanish border.
All local emergency services have been mobilised and a crisis coordination unit has been set up.
Officials said the train was travelling west from Perpignan to the town of Villefranche de Conflent when the crash happened.
The bus, which was carrying mainly secondary school students, was struck in the rear, officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "All my thoughts for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families. The state is fully mobilised to help them."
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne are on their way to the scene from a meeting in the south-central city of Cahors.
"It's a terrible event," said Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer, expressing "profound sadness".
rte.ie
The death toll from a crash between a school bus and a train in southern France rose to six Friday as two 11-year-old girls died from their injuries, a police source said.
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