26 Die In Fiery French Alps Bus Crash

Bus Carrying Poles Returning From Holy Site In Grenoble Veers Off Steep Roadway, Bursts Into Flames

(AP)  A bus transporting Polish pilgrims from a holy site in the French Alps plunged off a steep mountain road, crashed into a river bank and burst into flames Sunday, killing 26 people, authorities said.

A further 14 people were seriously injured in the disaster, which occurred at about 9:30 a.m. (0730GMT) near the village of Vizille, not far from Grenoble, officials from the prefecture of the Isere region said.

Several other people received less serious injuries. There were conflicting reports of exactly how many people had been on board, but it was believed to be at least 50.

The bus plowed through a barrier and plunged about 20 meters (65 feet) onto the banks of the La Romanche River, firefighters said.

Residents of Notre-Dame-de-Mesage, a town near the site, said the bus missed a 90-degree bend in the steep mountain road. They said the bus burst into flames and was destroyed in the blaze.

Footage showed charred remains of the bus, with pieces strewn across the river bank.

Victims were evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in Grenoble, and others with light injuries were being treated in a field nearby.

A handful of missing passengers may have been thrown out of the bus and into the river, firefighters said. Crews were searching the river by helicopter and boat.

The pilgrims were returning from the shrine of Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, about 25 miles south of Grenoble.

Officials from Poland's Foreign Ministry said there were 51 people on board the bus. French media was reporting that between 50-60 people were on board.

Marcin Szklarski, president of the trip's organizer, Orlando Travel, told Poland's TVN24 television that the pilgrims were aged 40-60.

The group left Poland on July 10 on a two-week visit to famous sanctuaries in France, Spain, and Portugal, including shrines in Lourdes, France, and Fatima, Portugal, Szklarski said.

The bus, a 2000 Skania, underwent technical checks three weeks ago in Germany.

"The bus had passed its checks," Szklarski said.

The Rev. Slawomir Zyga, a spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church in Szczecin, said three priests were on board the bus.

One of the priests called the church in Szczecin after the accident.

"He said he was shaken up and bloody, but alive," Zyga told TVN24. "We have no information on the other two priests."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his condolences to his Polish counterpart, Lech Kaczynski, in a letter Sunday.

"During this ordeal, you have the solidarity of the French people," Sarkozy said.

Following a similar accident in the 1970s also involving pilgrims, buses have been prohibited from using the 5-mile-long road — which has a 7-percent gradient — without a special permit.

The bus involved in Sunday's crash pilgrims had no such permit, firefighters said.

Though it rained heavily on Saturday night, weather in the region was warm and sunny on Sunday and the road was dry.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon was to visit the crash site later Sunday.

Nestled between Alpine peaks, the Sanctuary of Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette is about 5,900 feet above sea level. The complex was built on the site where two local boys claimed the Virgin Mary appeared to them in 1846. It has since become an important pilgrimage site, drawing Catholics from around the world.

[diplomacy3]

A sad news. It is uncommon to see buses on this route. This is a zig zag shortcut to Nice/Cote a'Azur from Grenoble via Gap but very dangerous and one can often find chunks of rock on the road. I have seen a lot of cyclists on this route.

[djmo1-2009]

Skywords,

RE: "The skid marks indicate a deflated tire probably a blow out was the cause?"

Only one tire appears to be under inflated indicated the photo of the skid marks.

A blown tire could be a contributing factor, not the cause of the accident. Usually a blown tire results in the over correction by the operator. This appears to be the left rear outer dual tire which is under inflated or flat.

[skywords]

Being the owner of a 1966 MC-5A Greyhound built bus that we use for recreational camping I can say buses are one of the most safe forms of transportation. They are built to very stringent safety standards that exceed over the road truck standards. I have looked at the Scania web site and studied their bus construction and it looks to be a very well built bus with many safety features. The skid marks indicate a deflated tire probably a blow out was the cause?

[donnie900]

And city buses are different from highway buses. With city buses I'd stick airbags on the walls, and at the rear, and at the windshield. Because those people stand. And I'd use helium to put out any fire, and the pop the windows open. And on both classes of buses I'd stick some kind of a fireproof firewall all around the engine, up to the fuel tanks. It'll get hot, but it won't burn. And I'd use better fire proof material in the construction of the interior.

[toolmangler-2009]

WOW!! If a religious person is hurt, blame it on GOD. If a hurricane rips a country apart, blame it on GOD. A avalanche kills a whole village, "It was GODS will"!! Terrorist fly aircraft into buildings "It is the will of Allah! Allah be praised". DON'T YOU PEOPLE GET IT!!!! None of that is even slightly what GOD wants. If you build a house underneath a delicately balanced huge boulder and a fly lands on your side of this boulder causing the rock to fall on your house (hopefully you weren't in it). How is 'that' GODS will? Didn't you ever think that the Devil (evil one)might just have a small interest in it? Of course! we don't ever consider that our stupidity might have anything to do with it. GOD made us and showed us how we should live. If you are alive, then learn lifes biggest lesson "Life is what "YOU" make of it". God will reward those that do it right and has no time for those that 'just don't get it'..

[randalds]

My, what a shame Bush wasn't vacationing in the Alps instead of getting his head examined via his as*s this weekend. Then if he'd been one of the ones to die a fiery death in this bus crash at least there'd be a silver lining to this tragedy.

[donnie900]

"Wow Donnie, you have bathrooms in your buses in the US? Here in Europe we only have toilets or lavatories in ours, but there again I guess that maybe that our buses are a lot cleaner than yours and so you may need bathrooms to clean yourselves up during the journey"

Well, not full baths. Just toilets and sinks, so you can wash your hands. But alot of them are really really outdated.

[skywords]

I stand corrected on the type of bus. CBS has done a good job and I will check the tech data on brake types I may be off on that as well.
Sorry

[skywords]

As always the mosr usefull information has been omited from the news and that being what type of bus was this so the rest of the world can check their equipment. And for the person that said the brake fluid boiled knows nothing of heavy vehicles. The brakes are air brakes and if maintained are very safe reliable and redundant.

[djmo1-2009]

Motor vehicle accident fall under one or all of these categories; The operator exceeded the vehicles capabilities, the operator exceeded his/her own capabilities, or mechanical failure.

Large vehicles can experience brake failure while descending long grades or slopes due to constantly applying the brakes causing the brake fluid to boil creating gasses in the brake lines and creating voids in the flow of the fluid.
The skid marks in photo #3 indicate the brakes were functional.

The left rear outer dual tire was under inflated indicated by the dark outer edges of the skid mark.

It is clear the driver was not able to negotiate the turn which indicates speed too fast for road conditions contributed to this accident.

[zootallures2]

More proof god doesn't exist, these worshippers returning from a HOLY SITE were brutally slaughtered.

Posted by newster1 at 10:28 AM : Jul 22, 2007

More proof he doesn't like being associated with another fake illuminati zodiac book.

[bhoght]

Wow Donnie, you have bathrooms in your buses in the US? Here in Europe we only have toilets or lavatories in ours, but there again I guess that maybe that our buses are a lot cleaner than yours and so you may need bathrooms to clean yourselves up during the journey

[donnie900]

I saw a bus fire once, and its amazing how fast they go up. Shocking.

[donnie900]

Buses are maybe the most unsafe of vehicles right now. Some not even having seatbelts.

Them new hydrogen combustion powered buses whose tailpipes poor out water vapor are going to have higher safety standards with more fire resistant materials. And more emergency exits (like a city buses). And airbags that come out the walls, the roofs, and the floors. Even in the bathrooms..

[iceman_1960]

Why was I joking around about this terrible event ?

I'm sorry.

[donnie900]

Have intellectuals always applied meaning to death? You people actually sound like you're offended. I'd hate to have your IQs.. Its not telling you, you're the ones responsible.

[nothappyatall]

Yours prayers do nothing.

www.evilbible.com

[nothappyatall]

More proof god doesn't exist, these worshippers returning from a HOLY SITE were brutally slaughtered.

[iceman_1960]

Only Swiss Cheese.

Not some un-holey cheese.

[cosmicfluke]

Choose Cheeses!

Cheeses love you!