26 pilgrims killed in coach crash
Sunday, 22 Jul 2007 12:55
The coach veered off a road and fell down a height of 15 feet into a ravine
At least 26 people have died and several have been injured after a coach carrying pilgrims from Poland crashed in the French Alps.
The accident in the south-eastern city of Grenoble took place as the coach went down a steep slope. The coach veered off the road and broke the safety barrier. It then fell into a ravine underneath and burst into flames after the 15ft fall.
Officials have said that the speed at which the coach was travelling and the condition of the brakes may have resulted in the crash.
About 50 Catholic pilgrims from Poland were travelling home on the coach after visiting the shrine of Notre-dame-de-la-Salette.
Some of the passengers held jobs in Germany while others were tourists with holiday plans in the Crimea.
Details of the number of people injured in the crash are yet to be confirmed.
An accident took place close to the present spot in 1973 when a crash involving a Belgian coach killed 43 people.