A bus carrying university students on a pre-graduation trip toppled off a mountain cliff in southern Albania, killing 12 people and injuring another 21, authorities said.
University officials said two buses had been taking 75 third-year language and literature students and three professors from Aleksander Xhuvani University in the city of Elbasan on a trip to the southern city of Saranda.
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Rescue personnel attend the scene of a bus accident as the bus lies at the bottom of a cliff near Himare southern Albania on Monday, May 21, 2012. (AP) |
One bus carrying 33 people fell 80 meters (yards) off the road near the town of Himare, 137 miles (220 kilometers) south of the capital, Tirana, police spokeswoman Klejda Plangarica said.
The cause of the Monday crash was unclear. Albanian media quoted one of the passengers and a resident near the crash site as saying the bus had been going very fast. Albania’s transport minister also said the road had been recently repaired.
Fourteen of the injured students were in serious condition and were flown by helicopter to Tirana’s military hospital. One died on the way, raising the total death toll to 12. Local prefect Edmond Velcani said the bus driver was among the dead.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha sent condolences to the families of the dead, speaking from Chicago, where he was attending a NATO summit. President Bamir Topi and main opposition Socialist party leader Edi Rama visited the hospital and Rama donated blood for the injured.
The government declared a national day of mourning Tuesday, with flags at half-mast and public television broadcasting classical music. It will also pay all funeral expenses. (AP)
<관련 한글 기사>
졸업MT 떠난 대학생 12명 충격 사망, 원인은?
알바니아에서 대학생을 태운 버스가 절벽 아래로 굴러 11명이 숨지고 22명이 다친 사고가발생했다고 현지 언론이 보도했다.
알바니아 경찰은 졸업을 앞둔 여행을 가던 도중 엘바산을 떠나 사란다로 가던 버스가 히마레 근처에서 80ｍ 절벽 아래로 추락했다고 밝혔다.
사고 지역은 수도 티라나에서 약 220㎞ 떨어진 곳으로 파악됐다.
이번 사고로 버스 운전사를 포함해 11명이 숨졌고 부상자 가운데 8명은 중상인 것으로 알려졌다.
사고 버스에는 졸업 어문계열 대학생 75명과 교수 3명이 타고 있었다.
아직까지 사고 원인은 밝혀지지 않은 상태이다.
(코리아헤럴드)
