Two people, including a minor, have been killed after an intercity bus crashed in eastern France, authorities have confirmed. The bus, whose passengers included children travelling to school, crashed near the small town of Lent, a rural area north-east of Lyon.
Casualties and response
The Prefecture in the Ain region confirmed that one young adult and one minor were killed in the crash, while 16 people were injured, including three seriously. Emergency services and law enforcement officers have been deployed to the scene.
News broadcaster BFM TV reported that the passengers included children travelling to middle and high schools in the area. A photo from the scene showed the bus had veered off the road and landed in a ditch.
Official statements
Transport minister Philippe Tabarot said on X that he was heading to the site following "a serious bus accident". The prefecture said in a statement: "An accident involving an intercity bus occurred near Lent, France, with multiple casualties reported."
Education minister Édouard Geffray told reporters: "It is always a difficult moment when our students, our children, are victims of an accident like this. My thoughts, and those of the government and the entire education community, are with the families."
