SINGAPORE – Passengers from Singapore suffered minor injuries in a deadly bus crash in Norway, which resulted in three deaths after the vehicle went off the road, and have received consular assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
In response to queries by The Straits Times, MFA said on Dec 28 that it had been offering support to the affected Singaporeans through the Honorary Consul-General (HCG) in Oslo.
“Our HCG has been in touch with the local authorities,” it said.
The ministry did not indicate how many Singaporeans were injured in the crash.
The accident happened on Dec 26 at 1.30pm local time (8.30pm Singapore time) while there were 58 passengers on board the bus, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Singapore told ST on Dec 27.
The bus ended up partially submerged in a lake near the Raftsundet strait, which separates the Lofoten archipelago from the Norwegian mainland.
Two women, one in her twenties or thirties and the other in her forties or fifties, and a child aged 10 to 12 died in the accident, according to local media.
Their nationalities have not been revealed by local police, who said their identities are being clarified while autopsies are being conducted.
According to media reports, passengers from the following eight countries were on the bus: China, France, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and South Sudan.
The road was slippery with snow and ice, the Norwegian embassy in Singapore said, adding that it had not been informed of any Singaporean casualties.
“The press has interviewed at least one Singaporean that was slightly injured. None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening,” it said.
“We have no information regarding the number of Singaporeans on board the bus.”
A Singaporean who was on board the bus told Shin Min Daily News that she was travelling with her husband and three other friends and relatives when the accident happened.
The passenger, who wanted to be known only as Ms Zeng, 33, told the Chinese-language daily that the weather was bad and the bus skidded several times.
After the bus crashed, she said the scene was chaotic and there was blood everywhere. One of her friends received seven stitches on her back.
“Even though we were injured, they (the injuries) were minor. But we remained in a state of shock as we just escaped death,” said Ms Zeng, who added that there were two other Singaporeans on board the same bus.
The Lofoten archipelago is a popular winter destination to watch the northern lights.
The bus had been lifted out of the water, the Norwegian police said on Dec 27, and the bus driver had been charged with violating the Road Traffic Act.
The police had also seized his driving licence and taken a blood sample.
Investigations are ongoing.
According to media reports, the Chinese embassy in Oslo said there were about 20 Chinese passengers on the same bus, and none of them were among the dead.
A few of the bus passengers from China have shared their accounts on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, with some writing their posts from their hospital beds.
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Dec 27 that it was communicating with the Norwegian authorities about the incident, and had sent a consular team to Norway to provide assistance to Malaysian citizens affected by the crash.
In response to ST’s queries, the Malaysian ministry said its citizens with minor injuries had been relocated to crisis centres at two hotels near the crash site – Hotel Richard in Stokmarknes and Thon Hotel in Lofoten.
It added that four Malaysian nationals were staying at Thon Hotel, where they were provided with accommodation.
“However, due to ongoing investigations, these passengers have not been allowed access to phones or direct communication with the outside world,” the ministry said, adding that hotel employees were also restricted from contacting them.
- Elaine Lee is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers breaking and trending news, as well as current affairs.
- Lok Jian Wen is a correspondent at The Straits Times, covering international news and current affairs.
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