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3 people died and 4 were injured in bus accident in Norway

3 people died and 4 were injured in bus accident in Norway

OSLO: A bus carrying a large number of foreign tourists went off the road and partially sank into a lake near the Raftsundet strait that separates the Lofoten archipelago from the Norwegian mainland, killing three people and injuring four others, police said on Thursday (December 26).

“Most of the passengers on the bus were foreign nationals,” police said, adding that 58 people were affected.

There were passengers from eight countries on board: China, France, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and South Sudan.

The Lofoten archipelago is a popular winter destination for viewing the northern lights.

Some of the evacuated passengers were brought to a local school, while three were transported to a hospital by helicopter, police said.

“Weather conditions in the area are poor, making rescue operations difficult,” local police said in a statement. he said.

Strong winds are currently affecting the region.

“The priority now is to treat the injured and an investigation will be launched to clarify what happened,” Norwegian news agency NTB quoted Nordland police officer Bent Are Eilertsen as saying.

He added that it was difficult to contact relatives due to the lack of a complete list of passengers and their nationality.

According to reports in the Norwegian media, at least one Singaporean was slightly injured in the accident.

Responding to CNA’s questions, the Norwegian embassy in Singapore said that it was not informed that any Singaporeans were among the dead.

He added that the municipality where the crash occurred mobilized its crisis response team and ensured that passengers not receiving hospital treatment “were all taken care of and had someone to talk to about the crash.”