UPDATE. Collision between a bus and a car in the Catalan Pyrenees: around fifty people involved, including 17 lightly injured

It was 3:30 p.m. this Friday, September 27, 2024, when on a bend a tourist bus carrying passengers of English and Irish origins and a light vehicle collided. The shock occurred in the high cantons of the Pyrénées-Orientales, on departmental road 66 at PR77 between Sauto and Mont-Louis.

Around fifty people were involved in the accident: there were 14 minor injuries transferred for treatment to the Cerdagne hospital in Puigcerdà, 3 others as well as an accompanying person went to the Perpignan hospital center, and 32 people came out unscathed. They were grouped together in the Cabanasse village hall while waiting for a replacement bus. The bus driver was evacuated by the civil security helicopter, the Dragon 66, for a suspected hip fracture.

A rescue and security system and an advanced medical post were quickly set up. The national gendarmerie, nearly 50 firefighters, ambulances, Samu, and a firefighter road rescue truck were involved.

At the start of the evening while waiting for the accident vehicles to be removed by the road services, traffic, which was alternating, was still strongly impacted in both directions. It was advised to avoid the area.