Some 40 people have been injured following a passenger coach crash in a Spanish city. Some of the casualties in the incident in Lleida are feared to be serious, according to local media.
The horror crash happened at approximately 7.15am on Rambla Ferran, outside the Lleida Provincial Council building in Lleida, a city in western Catalonia, Spain. The bus, which was was carrying 55 passengers, was en route from Lleida to La Granja d’Escarp when it crashed into the facade of the Provincial Council building. According to the latest assessment, 46 people were injured in the crash, including four in critical condition, nine with serious injuries, and 33 who sustained minor injuries.
Dramatic footage from the scene shows the front section of the coach has been severely damaged, with the driver’s area and front passenger compartment crushed and torn apart.
Debris, including shattered glass, metal fragments, and parts of the vehicle, can be scattered across the street with a police cordon in place.
The incident occurred shortly after the bus departed from its stop in Segrià
There is currently a large emergency presence along Rambla Ferran with 12 ambulances, 11 fire engines, police and a team of psychologists all at the scene.
Fèlix Larrosa, Lledia Mayor, said that it is “the most serious accident” that has happened in the city.
Taking to X Bombers, the fire and rescue service in Catalonia, said they “have helped evacuate the occupants from the bus while securing the area and have provided support to the health services in the evacuation and care of the injured”.
One of the passengers traveling on the bus told El matí de Catalunya Ràdio that the vehicle made a sudden right turn and hit a building.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time. However, the regional head of the firefighters in Lleida, Joan Josep Bellosta, said: “Apparently it seems like a loss of control.”
