2 dead, several injured as intercity bus crashes near French-Swiss border

An intercity bus carrying 43 people crashed in Lent, killing two and injuring 16. The cause remains unknown as emergency teams coordinate rescue and medical assistance.The authorities asked the public to avoid the area as traffic diversions were put in place to facilitate rescue and emergency operations. (Credits: Reuters)New Delhi,Nov 6, 2026 17:20 ISTAt least two people, including a minor, were killed and several others injured after a bus crashed in eastern France on Friday morning. The accident took place in the town of Lent in the Ain department, near the Swiss border, prompting a major emergency response.According to the Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor's office, the deceased included a minor and a young adult. Three people were treated in critical condition, while 13 others sustained minor injuries.The bus was carrying 43 people, including 15 minors, at the time of the crash. Initial reports suggested that the vehicle was transporting school students. However, the Ain prefecture said the incident involved an intercity bus operating on a local route.The circumstances leading to the accident have not yet been established. EMERGENCY SERVICES RUSH TO CRASH SITEAin prefecture said several people had been injured in the collision and that emergency services and law enforcement personnel had reached the spot. The prefect activated the departmental operations centre to coordinate the response of various emergency and crisis management agencies.Local mayors also joined the rescue efforts. Lent Mayor Yves Cristin said around 70 people were affected by the incident and that the town's community hall had been opened to provide care and shelter to those impacted. French broadcaster BFM TV showed images of a blue-and-white bus tilted into what appeared to be a roadside ditch, with several people gathered around the vehicle.The authorities asked the public to avoid the area as traffic diversions were put in place to facilitate rescue and emergency operations.MINISTERS MONITOR SITUATIONFrance's Education Minister Edouard Geffray confirmed the incident and said the crash involved a bus believed to be carrying school pupils.Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he was travelling to the accident site. Local authorities and emergency agencies continued coordinating rescue and medical assistance.The initial reports of the accident mentioned several victims, but the exact number of casualties was not immediately clear. The Ain prefecture later confirmed two deaths, while the Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor's office provided details about the victims and the injured.Authorities are yet to establish the cause of the crash. Further details about the circumstances of the accident are awaited.- Ends