At least two children killed in bus crash in eastern France, authorities say

(Recasts with death toll, adds details paragraph 2-5, ​quote from mayor paragraph 6) By Makini ​Brice

PARIS, Nov 6 - At ‌least ​two people were killed and 16 injured in a bus crash on Friday morning in eastern France ‌near the Swiss border, local authorities said. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu wrote in a post on X that two children had died in the accident.

The local ‌prefecture said in a statement that three of the injured were in ‌critical condition. Yves Cristin, the mayor of the small town of Lent where the crash took place, said a school bus had been involved, although

the local prefecture said the accident ⁠involved ​an intercity bus. Cristin said ⁠70 people were affected by the crash, though the local prefecture said the number affected ⁠was about 40.The town has opened its community hall to provide care and shelter to ​the crash victims.

"I arrived minutes after the accident and people were ⁠in shock," Cristin told BFM TV. "The side of the bus was torn off, and clearly, the people ⁠who ​were on that side must have been seriously injured." BFM TV showed a picture of a blue and white bus tilted in what appeared ⁠to be a ditch on the side of the road, while a crowd of ⁠people stood ⁠outside of it.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said he was on his way to the scene.