Local authorities confirm 4 dead after school-bus collision in S. France
Xinhua,December 15, 2017 Adjust font size:
PARIS, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Regional authorities on Friday confirmed that the collision between a train and school bus at Millas, southern France, left four dead.
"The death toll is unchanged at the moment at four deaths after confirmation of health services," the prefecture of Pyrenees-Orientales said in a statement.
Earlier on Friday, France info radio reported that two children aged 11 years succumbed to their injuries, bringing the death toll to six.
The accident took place on Thursday at about 16:00 local time (1500 GMT) at a railroad crossing when a train struck the back of the school bus.
Twenty people were wounded in the collision with 11 in serious condition, according to French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "All my thoughts go to the victims of this terrible accident and their families. The government is fully mobilized to give them emergency help."
The cause of the accident is being investigated.
According to the state-run railway company SNCF, the regional train with 25 passengers on board, was running at 80 km an hour which is "a normal speed at this place". Enditem