A catastrophic bus collision in Barcelona has left 53 tourists injured on Monday, with cruise passengers among the most severely affected. The accident occurred near the famous Sagrada Familia landmark, sending shockwaves through the city’s busy tourist area.
Crash Details and Possible Cause
Reports indicate that one bus was parked in a designated loading and unloading area. As it loaded cruise passengers from the Costa Toscana cruise vessel, which was scheduled to leave at 6 pm on the same day, another bus carrying Italian students from Lloret de Mar crashed into the rear of the first vehicle.
The impact forced the bus full of cruise passengers onto the sidewalk, where it crashed into a tree and a lamppost. While the exact cause of the collision has not been confirmed, several news sites suggest that the driver of the moving bus swerved abruptly to avoid a jaywalking pedestrian, leading to the crash.
Injuries and Emergency Response
The Travel shared Deputy Mayor Albert Batlle’s on-site report. “There are four critically injured, including a minor, and three less seriously injured,” he told reporters. “The rest have suffered less serious injuries for which they are being treated in various hospitals in Barcelona.”
Another individual was reportedly trapped inside a vehicle and had to be extricated by emergency responders. Among the injured were British, German, and Italian tourists.
Emergency services, including local police and fire crews, quickly arrived at the scene. The injured were transported to several hospitals in the city, including Hospital Clínic, Sant Pau, Hospital del Mar, Vall d’Hebron, and Sant Joan de Déu Children’s Hospital. Twelve people were reportedly unharmed.
Official Reactions
Catalonian Regional President Salvador Illa Rocca addressed the situation on social media, writing on X, “Very concerned and awaiting the situation of the accident between two buses in Barcelona. I am in permanent contact with Mayor Jaume Collboni and the emergency services, whom I thank for their quick action. All my support to those affected.”
By 7:30 pm Monday, both buses had been removed from the scene.
The accident occurred as heavy rains affected Barcelona and much of Spain, contributing to widespread traffic in the city. The crash also coincided with the opening day of the annual Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world’s largest wireless technology showcase, which is expected to draw around 100,000 attendees. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the collision while emergency services work to assist those affected.
Last September, another cruise tour bus in Skagway, Alaska swerved from the road and tipped over, wounding four passengers and its driver.
