General
Bus Veers Into Frigid Lake in Norway, Killing at Least 3
The bus, which was carrying more than 50 people, was partly submerged after leaving a road in the country’s northwest.
A bus in Norway veered off the road and plunged partway into a frigid lake on Thursday, killing at least three people and seriously injuring four others, according to the local police.
Fifty-eight passengers were on the bus when it went off the road by Asvatnet lake, in the northwestern part of the country, the police said. The passengers included citizens of at least eight countries besides Norway.
Working in grueling weather conditions, emergency responders took some rescued passengers to a hospital, while others were evacuated to a nearby school.
Photos and video shared by a local news outlet showed a grim scene: The bus lay on its side at the bottom of an slope while snow blanketed the ground and blustered in the air. The bright lights of rescue crews cut through the darkness.
Nordland Hospital issued an emergency alert and called in disaster response resources to assist. The hospital also established a central gathering point for relatives of those involved in the crash.
The municipality of Hadsel confirmed the accident in a statement, and the deputy mayor, Renate Eriksen, said the community was working with the police to care for those affected.
Norway recorded the lowest rate of road fatalities in the European Union in 2021, with just 15 deaths per million residents, according to a report in February.
