13 dead as student bus crashes in SpainMarch 21, 2016 - 09:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - At least 13 people have been killed after a bus carrying foreign students crashed on a Spanish motorway between the cities of Barcelona and Valencia, BBC News reports. Most of the 57 people on board the bus were students on the Erasmus program who were returning to Barcelona after a trip to a fireworks festival. The accident occurred near Freginals, 150km (93 miles) south of Barcelona. All of those who died were female, officials say. Their nationalities have not been made public while the process of identification continues. Those on board the bus included students from the UK, Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, New Zealand, Italy, Peru, Bulgaria, Poland, Ireland, the Palestinian territories, Japan and Ukraine, local Spanish officials said. Of the 43 people injured, 28 were taken to hospital. Jordi Jane, Catalonia's regional interior minister, said the driver of the coach had "hit the railing on the right and swerved to the left so violently that the bus veered onto the other side of the highway". The bus then hit a vehicle coming in the opposite direction, injuring two people inside. The location is a known accident blackspot. The driver of the bus survived the collision and has been taken to a local police station. He has tested negative for alcohol or drugs and, according to sources close to the investigation quoted by Spain's Efe news agency, had worked for the bus company for 17 years without incident. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Pashinyan’s spokesperson denies intention to visit Baku for COP29 Pashinyan’s agenda doesn’t include a trip to Baku for the COP29 conference, his press secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan has said. Lithuania sending €100,000 to help Armenia fight floods consequences Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took to social media to thank his Lithuanian counterpart for the contribution. Armenia: Rescue workers restore pedestrian bridge for flood-hit community Rescue workers on Wednesday, June 5 restored a pedestrian bridge in the town of Alaverdi in Armenia’s north. Turkey condemns Uruguay’s recognition of Armenian Genocide Turkey has condemned a newly passed law in Uruguay that recognizes the Armenian Genocide, TRT reports. |