It was a terrible end to the year for these tourists. While heading to Lapland, they went through a real nightmare traveling through Norway. The bus they were on fell into a lake on December 26, 2024, Thursday.
“Everyone was shocked by the news. Many of the bus passengers were foreigners,” reported the Nordland County Police. Three people lost their lives in the accident. This tragic balance could have been even worse, as a total of 58 people were on board the vehicle. When the bus fell into the lake, half of it was completely submerged. According to local authorities, there were many foreign tourists on board, including several French people.
In addition to Norwegians, passengers came from all over the world, including China, Singapore, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, South Sudan, and, of course, France. Inside, Are Eilertsen, a police officer from Nordland County, said that due to the many nationalities, it was difficult to compile an accurate passenger list. Rescue teams were able to intervene around 1:30 PM near Raftsundet, which separates the Lofoten and Vesterålen islands, according to Paris Match.
Fortunately, aside from the three victims, the other passengers were rescued and taken to a nearby school. The police stated that several factors may have contributed to this tragic accident. The weather has been extremely harsh in recent days. “The weather conditions in the region were bad, especially the strong gusts of wind made the rescue difficult,” the police said. Now, the primary goal is to treat the injured. An investigation has been launched to clarify the exact circumstances of the tragedy. Hopefully, the victims will soon be able to return home and forget about this catastrophic Christmas of 2024.
