Bus plunges into ravine near Barcelona, 83 hurt

A bus plunged about 20 metres down an embankment near Barcelona on Sunday afternoon after colliding with a car, injuring 83 people, Catalan health chief Olga Pané said.

The crash happened at around 4.43pm local time on the BV-5114 road in Fogars de Montclús, a narrow, winding route through the Montseny natural park north-east of Barcelona, Spanish news agency EFE reported.

Of the 83 injured, 7 were seriously hurt, 18 moderately and 58 slightly, according to Pané; 4 of the seriously injured were taken to hospital by helicopter or ambulance on Sunday night, with 3 more being evacuated at the time.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Granollers, Girona's Josep Trueta and Barcelona's Vall d'Hebron, EFE reported. No deaths had been confirmed by Sunday night, but both Pané and fire service duty officer Santi Lleonart said a fatality could not be ruled out, since the terrain meant some passengers might have been thrown clear of the bus or struck by it.

Fire crews said the crash site was difficult to reach and "very unstable", and teams worked through the night with drones and sniffer dogs to check whether anyone had been missed, the Daily Mirror reported. Twenty-three ambulances and two medical helicopters, one equipped for night flights, were sent to the scene, along with dozens of firefighters.

The bus, operated by Sagalés on route 573 between Sant Celoni railway station and the Montseny park's Santa Fe area, had been making intermediate stops to pick up passengers; fire officials said the exact number on board was not known because it was a shuttle service. Some passengers climbed out of the wreckage and up the embankment unaided, while others had to be evacuated by emergency teams.

Catalan regional president Salvador Illa said he was following the crash "with great concern" and was in contact with the health and interior ministers. Police closed the BV-5114 in both directions and will investigate the cause of the collision; Sagalés said it was cooperating with the inquiry. A reception centre for uninjured passengers was set up in Sant Celoni with the Red Cross.