A bus crashed near a ski resort in the Pyrenees mountains in southern France, killing at least two people and injuring 33 others, local authorities said.
A total of 47 people, including the driver, were on the bus when it crashed near the ski resort of Porte-Puymorens on Sunday evening, the regional administration said. Seven people were in critical condition.
Local authorities said a preliminary investigation showed the bus ran into a cliff, but the exact circumstances were unclear.
Images released by the local firefighter service showed the bus pressed against the side of a cliff, its right side partially crushed, and its windshield knocked out.
More than 120 individuals, including those from neighbouring Catalonia in Spain and Andorra, were involved in the rescue effort. Helicopters were also deployed.
France’s Transport Minister Francois Durovray posted on X his condolences to the victims and their families.
Local authorities said the injured were evacuated to French hospitals in Toulouse, Perpignan, Foix, and Puigcerda in Catalonia.
On X, Catalonia’s emergency services said that the bus originated from L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, outside Barcelona, Spain.