Norway: Bus Carrying Dozens of Lands In Lake; 3 Killed

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

OSLO (Worthy News) – A bus carrying dozens of people veered off the road, landing in a lake in Norway and killing several people, authorities say.

Thursday’s crash shocking the Nordic nation occurred at around 1:30 p.m. local time in the Hadsel district on the country’s north-western coast, according to officials.

The bus came off the road and ended up partially in the Åsvatnet lake, according to public broadcaster NRK, killing at least three people, though the toll could ride.

It was thought to have been carrying about 60 people at the time of the crash.

“Fatalities have been reported,” Bent Are Eilertsen, Chief of Staff in Nordland Police District, said in published remarks.

“We are talking about 60-70 people [in the bus] added rescue leader Ørjan Delbekk, talking to local media.

DISASTER TEAM

Shortly after news of the tragedy emerged, Nordland Hospital, on red alert, said it had established a disaster team in response to the incident.

“[We have] extra resources called in, personnel, ambulances, helicopter and aircraft resources to transport the injured to hospital,” it announced on its website.

While the cause of the crash was still being investigated, there were reports of heavy snow drifts and strong winds in the area.

The Norwegian Red Cross said on social media that it was sending teams to help with a “serious bus accident” on the E10 road, underscoring its extent.

Crashes of this magnitude are relatively rare in Norway, which, according to EU data, performs better than all European Union countries in terms of fatalities per million inhabitants.

In 2021, 80 people were reportedly killed, and 569 were seriously injured in road crashes in Norway, a nation of 5.5 million people.

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