Barcelona bus crash: Brits among 51 injured as four in critical condition | World | News

More than 50 people have been injured in a crash between two buses in the centre of Barcelona on Monday afternoon. British tourists were aboard one of the buses, it has been confirmed.

The incident happened at approximately 2pm GMT (3pm local time) in the Avinguida Diagonal, one of the Catalan capital’s broadest and most important avenues, near the famous Sagrada Familia. One of the buses, said to be carrying tourists, smashed into the back of the other and made it crash into a tree, local media reports.

Pictures from the scene showed the two buses surrounded by ambulances, police cars and fire engines. Several ambulances were mobilised, and the avenue was shut down to traffic as emergency responders dealt with the incident.

One of the vehicles involved in the crash had reportedly come from Lloret de Mar and was full of Italian holidaymakers.

The other is said to have been carrying day-tripper tourists from a cruise liner, which was due to depart Barcelona later today.

A spokesman for Autocares Julia, the company operating the coach the cruise liner day-trippers were on, confirmed a number of British tourists had been on the vehicle.

He said: “The nationalities most represented on the coach were British, German and Italians. They were on a cruise liner which had arrived in Barcelona earlier today and was due to leave in the next few hours.

“I don’t know whether there are any British tourists among the most seriously hurt. It is too early to say at this stage.”

No one from Autocares Julia was able to identify the cruise ship they had been travelling on.

Most of the 51 people who needed medical attention were not seriously injured, with many receiving treatment at the scene although some were transferred to specialist health centres. Four, however, were said to be in a critical condition.

Barcelona deputy mayor Albert Batlle headed to the scene this afternoon.

A spokesman for a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre said: “Some 34 people have needed medical attention following an accident between two buses on Avinguida Diagonal.

“Four of them are in a critical condition.”

He said three of the most seriously hurt victims had already been transferred to different Barcelona hospitals, adding: “The fourth critically injured person is trapped and is being freed now. Nineteen ambulances were mobilised.”