BUS CRASH NEAR BARCELONA INJURES 83 PEOPLE

Catalan medical emergency services said 83 people were injured when a bus left a road and fell about 20 metres down an embankment in Fogars de Montclús, near Barcelona, on Sunday. The service classified seven injuries as serious, 18 as moderate and 58 as minor. It said 24 people were taken to hospital. Some passengers climbed back to the road without assistance. Local authorities said the bus struck a car before leaving the road, but investigators have not established the cause of the collision.

Authorities received the first alert at 4.23pm local time and at least 25 calls about the crash. Accounts give two road numbers, BV-5114 and BV-5144, and ambulance totals of 15 and 23. Two medical helicopters also attended, alongside firefighters and medical teams. Bus operator Sagalés said its vehicle was running the 573 service between Fogars de Montclús information centre and Santa Fe del Montseny. Authorities closed the road in both directions during the recovery operation.

Olga Pane, Catalonia’s health minister, said rescuers were searching the surrounding area for any further casualties. Catalonia’s Corps of Firefighters said it would deploy drones and sniffer dogs to check the area. Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, said he was monitoring the operation and remained in contact with local authorities. “All my support to the people affected and my gratitude to the emergency services for their work,” Illa said. Sagalés said it was cooperating with the authorities and prioritising care for the passengers and driver.