By Basant El-Faramawy
An intercity bus carrying children on their way to school crashed Friday morning near the town of Lent in the Ain region of eastern France, killing one minor and one young adult and injuring 16 people, three seriously, authorities said.
Casualties and emergency response
The prefecture for the Ain region confirmed the deaths and said emergency services and law enforcement were deployed to the scene. A photo from the site showed the bus had veered off the road and landed in a ditch.
Officials react
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said on X that he was heading to the site following what he described as a serious bus accident. Education Minister Édouard Geffray, speaking during a visit to a high school in the Paris region, expressed condolences to the families and said the government's thoughts were with the victims.
Passengers included students
Broadcaster BFM TV reported that the passengers included children traveling to middle and high schools in the area.
