Two people, including a child, died and 16 others were injured when a bus carrying students crashed near Lent in eastern France on Friday, November 6, 2026, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 7 a.m. local time in the Ain department, around 55 kilometres from the Swiss border. The bus left the road and struck a tree, Lent Mayor Yves Cristin told French media.
The Bourg-en-Bresse prosecutor’s office reported that three of the injured were in serious condition. Emergency crews went to the scene, and a helicopter was sent to take seriously injured passengers to a specialist hospital. The overall toll of two deaths and 16 injured was also reported by the Associated Press.
About 70 people were on board, according to the mayor. French Education Minister Édouard Geffray said students were involved and expressed sympathy for those affected. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he was travelling to the scene.
Students were aboard an intercity bus
Although students were among the passengers, local reporting described the vehicle as part of an intercity transport service, rather than confirming that it was a dedicated school bus, according to Le Parisien.
Authorities’ initial accounts described several victims before the later confirmed toll. The three serious cases were reported consistently, while the available accounts differ on how the other 13 injuries were classified.
Reid Bentley