At least three dead in bus accident in Norway
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Three people died after a regular bus carrying 58 passengers veered off the road and landed in a lake along the E10 highway in Hadsel, in northern Norway. Among the deceased is a child, according to Norwegian police
What has happened in the incident:
The accident occurred around 1:30 PM on Thursday December 26. The bus went off the road and ended up partially submerged in a lake. Three fatalities and four injuries have been confirmed.
According to Norwegian Relevision, NRK, passengers on the bus were from eight different countries: Norway, India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands, France, and South Sudan.
Bent Are Eilertsen of the Nordland Police told Norwegian TV2 that the identification of the deceased is ongoing. The victims include a child around ten years old and two women, aged between 20–30 and 40–50. Authorities have not yet disclosed the nationalities of the deceased.
Severe weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and strong winds, were reported at the scene.
Norwegian daily newspaper VG interviewed a man whose son’s girlfriend was aboard the bus. When they heard about the accident, the man and his son rushed to the scene to help her.
"There were several rescue units, and it was very chaotic, but it seemed like they had the situation under control," he said.
One passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, described the terrifying experience to VG:
"Suddenly, the bus rolled over several times, down toward a lake. I thought: Is this the final destination? The end? The end for me? It was a horrible feeling," he said.
"Never Seen Anything Worse"
Norwegian newspaper Bladet Vesterålen spoke with Yngvar Gustavsen, one of the first people to arrive at the scene. He said he had been driving about 100 meters behind the bus when he saw it fail to navigate a curve and crash through the guardrail.
"When I got close enough to look down at the lake, I thought: I’ve never seen anything worse," Gustavsen said.
On Friday morning, December 27, operations leader in the Nordland Police District, Lars Halvorsen, said to the Swedish news wire service TT:
"The bus has now been lifted back onto the road and will be transported to a secure location for storage and further technical investigations."
On December 26, 2024, a bus carrying 58 passengers veered off the E10 highway in Hadsel, Nordland county, Norway, and plunged into a lake. The accident resulted in at least three fatalities and four serious injuries. Adverse weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and strong winds, are believed to have contributed to the crash. BBC
The bus, reportedly operated by Boreal Buss AS, was en route from Narvik to Lofoten. Many passengers were foreign nationals from countries including Norway, India, China, Singapore, Malaysia, the Netherlands, France, and South Sudan. A large-scale rescue operation was launched, involving helicopters, ambulances, and Red Cross volunteers. Some passengers were evacuated to a nearby school for shelter. Fox Weather
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with emergency services and local residents working together amid challenging weather conditions. The bus was partially submerged in the lake, complicating rescue efforts. Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident. Sweden Herald
For more detailed coverage, you can refer to the following news articles:
- At least three killed & four seriously hurt after packed bus 'with tourists on board' plunges into lake in Norway
- At least three killed in bus crash in Norway
- At least 3 dead as bus carrying dozens slides off snowy highway in Norway
- At Least Three Dead in Bus Crash in Northern Norway
- Three dead, four seriously injured in northern Norway bus accident