On June 13, a tragic accident occurred in the Sart department of France, claiming the lives of four individuals and leaving eleven others seriously injured. The incident involved a bus transporting Ukrainian nationals.
The bus, which was carrying both adults and teenagers, overturned in a ditch on the A81 motorway at 11:58 AM, near the small town of Degre, between the Sille-le-Guillaume and Le Mans Nord interchanges.
According to preliminary reports, in addition to the four deceased and eleven critically injured, 34 individuals sustained minor injuries, as stated by the prefecture.
The motorway was closed in both directions to facilitate evacuation and rescue operations.
Emergency services dispatched 87 firefighters and 49 fire engines from the SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service) to the scene.
Currently, there is no further information regarding the circumstances of the accident, the number of vehicles involved, or the identities of the victims.
The prefect of the Sart department, Emmanuel Aubry, has taken charge of the rescue operations, and an operational command post has been established to coordinate the efforts of various agencies on-site. The prefect urged maximum caution in the area and requested that the emergency services be allowed to operate without interference.
The Ukrainian Embassy in France reported that the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador, Vadym Omelchenko, and embassy staff are en route to the scene to provide assistance.
"We are in constant communication with the prefecture and local authorities to ensure prompt support for the victims and to clarify the circumstances of the incident," the embassy stated in a Facebook post.