Students from six countries killed in bus crash in northern Spain

Students from six countries were among 13 people killed when a bus returning from festivities in the city of Valencia swerved off the road and crashed in the Spanish region of Catalonia on Sunday, regional authorities said on Monday.

The incident took place at about 6am near the Catalan town of Freginals. Local authorities said the vehicle, carrying 61 people, hit a barrier on the right-hand side of the road, before veering across into the wrong lane and rolling on its side.

A car coming in the other direction then struck the back of the bus. A total of 43 people were injured, although some of them only lightly.

The fatalities were women between the ages of 19-25 and included seven from Italy, two Germans, and one each from France, Romania, Uzbekistan and Austria, Catalonia’s regional interior minister Jordi Jane said. 

Three Irish students were among the 34 passengers who were treated in hospital for their injuries. It is believed that there were also people from the UK, Scandinavia, eastern Europe, New Zealand and Japan on the bus that crashed.

The Irish nationals escaped largely without injury. Ireland’s Ambassador to Spain, David Cooney, said two of the students were brought to hospital but were later discharged. The third did not require hospital treatment.