Images of the incident reveal a vehicle embedded in a cliff, partly crushed by the impact. A bus accident occurred on Sunday December 1st in the Pyrénées-Orientales, near the village of Porté-Puymorens, left at least two dead and ten seriously injured, according to a provisional report from the prefecture.
The accident occurred around 5 p.m. on the RN 320, a winding road linking the Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège, Andorra and Spain. Leaving Barcelona for an excursion to Andorra, the bus, on which 47 people were traveling, violently hit the left side of the road before coming to a stop, according to sub-prefect Didier Carponcin. Franceinfo details what we know about this fatal road accident.
An accident on a “very busy” road
The collision occurred on a mountain road linking Spain to the Pyrénées-Orientales passing near Andorra. The bus, leaving for an excursion to Pas de la Casa, left its track near the town of Porté-Puymorens and ended its course in a cliff. “It’s a mountain road, [qui] are always more at risk than others after dark, with [leurs] sharp turns. That said, the roadway was in good condition. on this “very busy road”underlined Ludovic Julia, chief of staff of the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales, on France Bleu Roussillon, Monday December 2.
The accident does not appear to be linked to bad weather conditions. “There was no snow or ice”assured AFP Jeanine Ribo, deputy mayor in the neighboring town of Porta. “It’s a very narrow place, where the cliff juts out onto the road”she added.
Loss of control in a turn
The mayor of Porté-Puymorens, Jean-Philippe Augé, explained to him on BFMTV on Sunday that “the bus driver [avait] lost control at the bottom of a descent in a right turn and crashed into the cliff on the opposite side, on the left side”. A theory confirmed by images released by the authorities, which show the bus embedded in a cliff on the driver's side, after crossing the road, reports AFP. An entire side of the vehicle was torn off against the rock.
Before being damaged, the coach carried out “zigzags”according to passenger testimonies reported by the news agency. The driver would have “tried to brake for 1.5 km”according to Laurent and Béatrice, two witnesses questioned by The Independentwho were following the bus before the accident. The vehicle, currently undergoing an assessment, could have suffered brake failure before hitting the cliff, confirms Colette Sarda, second deputy mayor of Porté-Puymorens, speaking to RTL. An investigation was opened in order to “determine the exact causes of the accident”reports the prefecture.
At least two dead and ten seriously injured
The vehicle was carrying 42 adults and five children, according to Ludovic Julia. Among the passengers, at least two people are dead, 10 are seriously injured, including a 4-year-old child, and 35 others are in a relative emergency situation. The driver was also hospitalized, suffering from “very serious depression of the rib cage”reports the chief of staff of the prefect of Pyrénées-Orientales.
The injured were evacuated to hospitals in Toulouse, Perpignan, Foix and Puigcerda, located in Spain, 20 km from the accident site. A psychological unit was also opened “to support the victims and their families”announced the prefecture.
The majority of victims identified at this stage are of Spanish or Colombian nationality, according to Ludovic Julia. The authorities also identified “a Moroccan national, an Ecuadorian national and at least one Spaniard”. These victims “resides in a town near Barcelona”according to the prefecture, which assumes that they “came to do Christmas shopping” in Andorra.
Nearly 200 firefighters and five helicopters mobilized
Emergency services arrived in large numbers to help the victims and secure the area. Nearly 200 firefighters converged on the scene of the accident from the Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège and Aude, with the support of their Catalan and Andorran counterparts. Added to this are 18 soldiers from the Prades brigade (Pyrénées-Orientales), five bikers, three high mountain gendarmerie platoons and two members of the identification cell.
To reach this difficult-to-access area, five civil security and gendarmerie helicopters were also deployed.
