France to investigate level crossing crash that killed 4 schoolchildren

 

The victims in Thursday's level crossing crash in France have been identified, a regional offical announced on Friday morning. A top-level investigation has been ordered into the train and bus crash, in which four children died and 20 people were injured.

A school bus carrying around 20 students from a local secondary school, was cut in half when

it was hit by a train in Millas, about 18 kilometres west of the city of Perpignan, close to the Spanish border.

Passengers described the impact as extremely powerful, saying they feared the train was about to derail.

Around 95 emergency workers, backed by four helicopters were deployed as part of the rescue effort with the site cordoned off to the media.

Four schoolchildren were killed and seven of the 20 injured were in a serious condition on Friday.

PM visits scene

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who flew to the scene of the crash, said the process of idetifying the victims was extremely difficult, with 24 people caught up in the accident and 11 of them, mostly chidlren in a critical condition in hospital.

Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne called the crash a "terrible accident" and Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer was due to visit a counselling centre set up at the Christian Bourquin College on Friday.

"All my thoughts for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families," French President Emmanuel Macron declared. "The state is fully mobilised to help them."

Causes to be investigated

The reason for the crash is unknown. But the national railway operator, the SNCF, quoted witnesses as saying that the level crossing was working normally.

Borne on Friday morning said an interministerial coordinator would be named to help the victims' families.

An investigation into the causes of the crash has been ordered.

"In 98 percent of cases, it is a road-safety error that is the cause of these accidents," she said.

A source close to the enquiry said witness questioning was underway and the drivers of the bus and train would be tested for alcohol and drugs.

There were 31 deaths on France's 15,000 level crossings in France last year and there had been 33 this year, until Thursday's accident.