On 17 April 2019, a tour bus carrying 56 people—mostly tourists from Germany—crashed in Caniço in Madeira, Portugal. At least 29 people were killed—18 women and 11 men—and 27 more were injured, including the Portuguese driver and tourist guide.[1][2][3]
The crash took place around 18:30 local time, with the bus veering off a hilly road and tumbling down an embankment, coming to rest atop a house.[4]
The crash overwhelmed nearby hospitals and required 19 ambulances to transport the injured passengers.[2] Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa sent condolences to German chancellor Angela Merkel, while Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced plans to visit the site of the crash.[3][5] German foreign minister Heiko Maas travelled to Madeira on 18 April in response to the incident, accompanied by doctors, psychologists and consular officials.[6] He said work was underway to bring injured victims home and identify the dead.[6]
The Portuguese Government decreed the three days following the tragedy (18, 19, and 20 April 2019) to be national days of mourning.[7]
References
- ^ "At least 29 dead in bus crash on Portugal's Madeira island". BNO News. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ a b Busby, Mattha (17 April 2019). "Portugal crash: at least 28 killed on tourist bus in Madeira". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ a b "Madeira crash: At least 28 killed on tourist bus near Caniço". BBC News. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ "Viele Tote bei Busunglück auf Madeira" [Many killed in bus accident on Madeira]. Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ Demony, Catarina (17 April 2019). "At least 28 killed in Madeira tourist bus accident". Reuters. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
- ^ a b "German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visits Madeira after fatal bus crash | DW | 19.04.2019". dw.com. Deutsche Welle.
- ^ "Acidente/Madeira: Governo decreta três dias de luto nacional em memória das vítimas" [Government decrees three days of national mourning in memory of the victims] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
This page was last edited on 7 March 2024, at 18:05