Fourteen people have been killed in a coach crash in Spain that was carrying British students, it has been confirmed, with 30 more people injured.
Authorities said the vehicle hit a railing and then swerved on to the other side of the road on the AP7 highway in Tarragona, Spain, colliding with a vehicle coming from the opposite direction.
It is not known how many come from the UK but local reports said the injured, mostly aged between 22 and 29, were also from Switzerland, Norway, Turkey and Ukraine as well as from Barcelona.
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So far it has been confirmed 14 people were killed in the crash and 30 injured, including British students
Spanish emergency services are pictured removing a body of a victim from the scene of the crash in Spain
The crash, pictured, took place on the AP7 highway near Tarragona after the coach collided with another vehicle
The students were enrolled at the University of Barcelona as part of the European Erasmus exchange programme, said Catalonian Interior Minister Jordi Jane.
They had travelled to Valencia to take part in the renowned ‘Fallas’ fireworks festival and were returning when the bus crashed.
The accident occurred near the small town of Freginals, about 95 miles south of Barcelona.
Around 20 fire crews and seven ambulances were said to have been sent to the seen to help free people trapped inside.
The driver ‘hit the railing on the right and swerved to the left so violently that the bus veered onto the other side of the highway,’ Mr Jane said.
The bus then hit a vehicle coming in the opposite direction, injuring two people inside, he added.
A map showing the location of the bus crash between Barcelona and Valencia in Spain
The University of Barcelona put out a statement on social media offering help to families of the victims
Mr Jane said: ‘They are from various countries. We are currently working on a list of the people and their nationalities.
‘They were related groups and mostly Erasmus students studying at different universities who had organised this trip to Valencia.
‘They were returning in the early hours when this tragic accident occurred.’
Three of the injured are said to be ‘serious.’
Confirming the number of dead as 14, Mr Jane added: ‘I hope and prey the final death toll stays at this dramatic figure.’
He also said the coach driver was at a police station in Tortosa and confirmed 57 people were aboard the vehicle.
Thirty of the injured were being treated in hospital and most of the injuries are described as ‘non life-threatening.’
Catalonian Interior Minister Jordi Jane confirmed the students on board the bus, pictured, were part of the European Erasmus exchange programme
The crash killed 14 people and injured 30 more, with many being treated in hospital this morning
Mr Jane, speaking at a hastily-arranged press conference, said: ‘It appears 57 people including the driver were travelling in the coach.
‘Of these 57 people, 14 have died and 43 people have survived together with two people from Catalunya travelling in the car involved in the accident who were travelling in the opposite direction towards Valencia.
The coach that crashed was one of five coaches belonging to the same firm that were returning together from Valencia but had become separated from the convoy.
In a statement released via social media, the University of Barcelona offered its condolences to the victims’ families and said it would help however it could.
WHAT IS THE ERASMUS SCHEME?
- Erasmus stands for European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students and was founded in 1987.
- It is a European Union exchange student programme with more than 4,000 universities participating across 33 countries.
- It is thought around 3million students have taken part in the study abroad scheme since its inception, with Spain, Germany and France among the most popular destinations.
- Students who join the Erasmus Programme study between three months and a full academic year in another European country. Qualifications gained on the scheme are recognised by a student’s ‘parent university’ when they return.
- Students do not pay extra fees for their time abroad and can apply for grants to cover living costs.
The statement said: ‘The #UniBarcelona sends its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims of today’s bus accident. We remain at your disposal for any further needs.’
Erasmus Student Network Barcelona, an organisation representing Erasmus students throughout the city, also paid tribute to the victims.
A statement said: ‘ESN Barcelona, consisting of ESN Barcelona UB, ESN Barcelona UPF, ESN UPC Barcelona and UAB Barcelona, issues this statement due to the tragic accident that occurred this morning, involving one of our buses of the trip to ‘Las Fallas de Valencia’ organized by ESN Barcelona.
‘There were 57 students in this bus. At the moment and according to official sources, 14 international students have lost their lives.
‘For the moment we know that 13 people are slightly injured and around 30 are hospitalized in several hospitals of Amposta, Reus and Tarragona.
‘ESN Barcelona would like to convey our condolences and join the pain of the families, friends and relatives of the victims.
‘We feel the deep loss. In the same way we would like to express our sincere willingness to be as helpful as possible with the family, friends or institutions.’
Spain’s national radio station RNE spoke to the son of the owner of the company that chartered the bus, only giving his first name Raul.
He said his father was driving another bus in front of the one that crashed.
‘All of a sudden, he stopped seeing it in his rear-view mirror. He stopped at the next service area, called the driver but he didn’t pick up,’ Raul said.
The son added that his father then asked passengers in his own bus to call those in the other vehicle, and that is when he got news of the accident.
‘The driver is in a state of shock, but he’s okay physically,’ he added.
The drivers of the other vehicles are believed to have been told about the accident only when the reached their final destination.
Most of the students were initially described as studying at Barcelona University but Mr Jane said he was unable to confirm that information.
The Erasmus program provides foreign exchange courses for students from counties within the 28-nation European Union and enables them to attend many of the continent’s best universities.
- Emergencies Catalonia said anyone calling from abroad for information on the crash should telephone +34 900400012.
