Tragic trip
A BUS carrying Hungarian students home from a school ski trip to France slammed into a highway barrier in northern Italy and burst into flames, killing at least 16 people, police said Saturday.
Thirty-nine others survived, but some were seriously injured.
The impact of the crash just before midnight was so violent that the overpass support column entered into the bus, officials said. The ensuing fireball burned some of the 16 dead beyond recognition and torched the bus, leaving just a skeleton of twisted steel.
Nevertheless, one teacher managed to save some of the kids, suffering serious burns to his back as he did so, said Judit Timaffy of Hungary’s consulate, who was at the scene of the crash.
“The kids told me that the fire started and they escaped from the fire, breaking the windows of the bus,” she said. “Some of them managed to escape, but many were left inside.”
No other vehicles were involved in the crash on the highway near Verona, and the cause wasn’t known, police said. Of the 39 survivors, 26 were injured, some seriously, police commander Girolamo Lacquaniti said.