At least 42 people have been killed in a collision between a bus carrying elderly tourists and a truck travelling through south-west France, police said, reports The Guardian.
The crash happened around 7.30am local time, close to the town of Puisseguin, about 40 miles east of Bordeaux.
An interior ministry spokesman said he believed all of the victims of the crash were French nationals, and firefighters had faced “a gigantic blaze” when they arrived at the scene on the RD17 road.
According to local media reports, around 60 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, with most of the passengers on the bus – reported to be pensioners on a coach trip – dying instantly.
Gérard Dupuy, a town hall official in Puisseguin, told France Info the crash had happened on a dangerous bend, where there had been other accidents in the past. The regional weather was overcast on Friday morning, but dry.
The passengers were members of a local pensioners’ social club from Petit-Palais-et-Cornemps and surrounding villages, according to mayor Patricia Raichini, speaking to regional newspaper Sud-Ouest.
A crisis centre has been set up in the town for family members of the victims, the paper reported.