53 Injured, 4 Critically, After Two Buses Collide on Busy Barcelona Street
At least 53 people were injured, with four in critical condition, following a collision between two buses in Barcelona on Monday, March 3, according to reports.
The crash occurred on Avinguda Diagonal, near the iconic Sagrada Familia, at approximately 3:00 p.m. when one bus rear-ended another, causing the impacted vehicle to mount the sidewalk and crash into a tree, as reported by Catalan News and The Mirror.
One of the buses was carrying Italian students traveling from Lloret de Mar, while the other was transporting cruise ship passengers, according to Catalan News. A spokesperson for Autocares Julià, the bus company operating one of the vehicles, confirmed that the passengers included British, German, and Italian tourists.
“They were on a cruise liner that had arrived in Barcelona earlier today and was scheduled to depart in the next few hours. It is too early to confirm whether any British tourists are among those most seriously hurt,” the spokesperson said, per The Mirror.
Among the four critically injured were two minors who had been boarding the bus and a pedestrian, as reported by Catalan News. The fourth individual was trapped inside one of the vehicles and had to be extracted by emergency responders.
Emergency Response and Ongoing Investigation
Emergency services, including local police, firefighters, and medical personnel, promptly arrived at the scene. The injured were transported to multiple hospitals, including Hospital Clínic, Sant Pau, Hospital del Mar, Vall d’Hebron, and Sant Joan de Déu children’s hospital. Reports indicate that 12 people were unharmed in the incident.
Photographs from the scene depict emergency responders assisting victims and assessing the wreckage. The two buses were removed from the crash site by 7:30 p.m. on Monday evening.
Catalonian regional president Salvador Illa expressed his concern in a statement on X (formerly Twitter):
“Very concerned and awaiting updates on the bus accident in Barcelona. I am in continuous contact with Mayor Jaume Collboni and emergency services, whom I thank for their swift response. My full support goes to those affected.”
PEOPLE has reached out to Autocares Julià and the regional emergency response coordination center for comment but has not yet received a response.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the accident.