Six children dead after train crashes into school bus in Millas, France

The death toll from a crash involving a school bus and a train has risen to six, French investigators have said.

They were killed when their bus was split in half in the ‘terrible accident’ in southern France.

Four teenagers were confirmed dead last night but two 11-year-old girls have since succumbed to their injuries. Another 18 were injured, 14 of them children.

Officials have described it as one of the worst accidents involving a school bus in France for 30 years.

They are now looking into whether human error or a technical fault was to blame for the collision in the town of Millas, close to the border with Spain.

The wreckage of the bus that somehow became trapped between the barriers at a crossing (Picture: Getty)
Nobody on the train was injured in the collision (Picture: Getty)
All the children on the bus were between the ages of 11 and 17 (Picture: Getty)

Investigators only finished identifying the dead overnight due to the severity of their injuries, with the mayor of the neighbouring village describing the scene as ‘a vision of horror’.

The female driver of the bus was among the injured and has not yet been questioned, but Perpignan prosecutor Jean-Jacques Fagni said investigators had spoken to the train driver.

It is unclear whether the automatic barriers at the crossing were open at the time of the crash, though national rail operator SNCF said that ‘according to witnesses, the level crossing was functioning normally’.

All the children on the bus were between the ages of 11 and 17, it was revealed today.


Children at the Christian Bourquin school in Millas were being supported this morning following the crash (Picture: Getty)
Police have spoken to the driver of the train but the driver of the bus was injured so they are still waiting to talk to her (Picture: Getty)

It is not yet known how the bus came to be stuck between the barriers of the crossing and an investigation has been launched. 

The train is believed to have been travelling at around 60mph when it crashed into the bus, causing it to split in half.

It also led to the train coming off the tracks, but none of the 25 passengers were injured.

President Emmanuel Macron said: ‘All my thoughts for the victims of this terrible accident involving a school bus, as well as their families. The state is fully mobilised to help them.’
Many other children were injured in the collision last night (Picture: Twitter)
Investigations are taking place to find out how the bus became trapped between the barriers (Picture: France Bleu Roussillon)

TRAGEDY! 2 killed, 9 injured in a gas explosion that rips through US school

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) - Two people were killed and nine injured on Wednesday (Aug 2) after a gas explosion ripped through a Christian private school in Minneapolis, starting a fire and causing a building to collapse, authorities said.

The body of a school employee who had been missing for most of the day after the 10.20am blast at Minnehaha Academy was recovered at about 8pm, Minneapolis Fire Chief John Fruetel told a news conference.




Chief Fruetel declined to identify either victim pending notification of next of kin.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that the remains removed earlier in the day belonged to Ms Ruth Berg, a 47-year-old receptionist at the school who was engaged to be married.

Family members earlier told local news channel KARE that Mr John Carlson, an 81-year-old custodian, was missing and that no one had been able to reach him.

The nine people who were injured were taken to local hospitals, and one was in critical condition, Chief Fruetel said.

Authorities said there were early indications that a ruptured gas line may have led to the explosion and that it was caused by contractors working at the school.

The academy confirmed on Facebook that there had been a gas leak and explosion at its Upper School.

"This is a day of extraordinary heartbreak in Minneapolis," Mayor Betsy Hodges told the news conference.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on Twitter its agents, fire investigators and trained canines were at the site of the explosion.

Mr Phillip Day, 41, said he, his wife and their 17-year-old daughter, Chimali, had been at the school meeting with a counsellor to discuss college options when the explosion occurred.

Mr Day said that, as they left a conference room, his daughter was blown back through the door by the force of the blast and his wife was scraped.

Mr Tramon Van Leer, 33, was in the gym at the Minnehaha Academy playing basketball with his stepdaughter and four other girls when they heard the blast.

After they ran outside to safety, Mr Van Leer said he looked back and said: "Wow, the whole section of the school is gone."

According to its website, Minnehaha Academy was founded in 1913 and teaches more than 800 students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade on two campuses.