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Nine dead and 19 seriously injured as coach carrying tourists from Finland leaves the road and overturns in Benalmádena
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By h.b. - Apr 19, 2008 - 11:14 PM
The group of 44 Finnish tourists were on their way back to Málaga airport after a holiday on the Costa del Sol.
An emergency number has been set up for those wanting more information - It is (+34) 955041861.
Nine people have died, one of them a seven year old girl, and 19 more have been seriously injured in a coach crash on the A7 Benalmádena bypass this evening. It happened at 1950 at the 224 km point above Arroyo de la Miel, when the coach, carrying a group of 44 Finnish tourists, driver and co-driver, left the road and overturned, after coming into a side contact with a four wheel drive vehicle. It is a very fast downhill stretch of road and it had been raining in the area for most of the day.
The driver of the four wheel drive vehicle tested 0.5 for alcohol, double the legal maximum and is being blamed for the accident. He has been arrested following reports of a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.
The tourists were on their way back to Málaga airport from Marbella at the end of their holiday on the Costa del Sol. The coach was from the Tui España company, and had left from Marbella, picking up tourists en route in their return to the airport. The driver is reported to be among the injured.
Nine bodies are reported to have been removed from the scene and there are 19 confirmed serious injuries, and 16 lesser injuries, according to the emergency services 112. Rescue services reached the victims by cutting a hole in the roof of the bus.
The Andalucian Health Service set up a mobile hospital at the scene, where a number of the passengers were attended to as soon as possible.
The injured were then taken to different hospitals in the province – One youngster is in the Materno Infantil, four injured are in the Carlos Haya hospital in Málaga, two have been taken to the Costa del Sol hospital in Marbella and the rest to the Civil Hospital in Málaga.
The road was closed direction Málaga for a time, leading to considerable delays in both directions on a busy Saturday night.
It is being described as the worst road accident in recent years in the province of Málaga, and is the most serious coach crash seen in Spain since November 2001 when 20 pensioners lost their lives in Huelva.
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Nine dead and 19 seriously injured as coach carrying tourists from Finland leaves the road and overturns in Benalmádena
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By h.b. - Apr 19, 2008 - 11:14 PM
The state of the bus after being lifted by emergency crews at the scene tonight - Photo EFE
An emergency number has been set up for those wanting more information - It is (+34) 955041861.
Nine people have died, one of them a seven year old girl, and 19 more have been seriously injured in a coach crash on the A7 Benalmádena bypass this evening. It happened at 1950 at the 224 km point above Arroyo de la Miel, when the coach, carrying a group of 44 Finnish tourists, driver and co-driver, left the road and overturned, after coming into a side contact with a four wheel drive vehicle. It is a very fast downhill stretch of road and it had been raining in the area for most of the day.
The driver of the four wheel drive vehicle tested 0.5 for alcohol, double the legal maximum and is being blamed for the accident. He has been arrested following reports of a dangerous overtaking manoeuvre.
Emergency workers at the scene - Photo EFE
Nine bodies are reported to have been removed from the scene and there are 19 confirmed serious injuries, and 16 lesser injuries, according to the emergency services 112. Rescue services reached the victims by cutting a hole in the roof of the bus.
The Andalucian Health Service set up a mobile hospital at the scene, where a number of the passengers were attended to as soon as possible.
A large crane was used to lift the bus back onto the road - Photo EFE
The road was closed direction Málaga for a time, leading to considerable delays in both directions on a busy Saturday night.
It is being described as the worst road accident in recent years in the province of Málaga, and is the most serious coach crash seen in Spain since November 2001 when 20 pensioners lost their lives in Huelva.
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Readers' comments:
A man from northen Finland
19 Apr 2008, 23:32
19 Apr 2008, 23:32
Horrible! I can't... No words. Horrible.
tmu
19 Apr 2008, 23:44
19 Apr 2008, 23:44
()
finnish
20 Apr 2008, 00:16
20 Apr 2008, 00:16
I'm from Finland and this is terrible :(. Can't believe this can happen
Finnish
20 Apr 2008, 03:02
20 Apr 2008, 03:02
Never liked the way you drive. Go to driving school..
I go somewhere else if...
20 Apr 2008, 09:20
20 Apr 2008, 09:20
Spanish men: hold your temper while driving. Don´t play God like this guy,
you killed 9 innocent finnish tourists.
Is it safe to come to Spain? Should we tourits go somewhere else with our money or is it possible that you can renew your driving schools so that spanish people, especially men, should become more careful behind the wheel?
Is it safe to come to Spain? Should we tourits go somewhere else with our money or is it possible that you can renew your driving schools so that spanish people, especially men, should become more careful behind the wheel?
juan
20 Apr 2008, 09:25
20 Apr 2008, 09:25
Hombres españoles: lleve a cabo su genio mientras que conduce. No juegue a
dios como este individuo, usted mató a 9 turistas finlandeses inocentes.
¿Es seguro venir a España? ¿Debemos los turistas ir en alguna parte con
nuestro dinero o es posible que usted puede renovar sus escuelas que
conducen de modo que la gente española, especialmente hombres, deba hacer
más cuidadosa detrás de la rueda?
Gareth
20 Apr 2008, 11:23
20 Apr 2008, 11:23
We were due to fly from Granada Airport on Friday 18th but the Ryanair
plane landed in Malaga because of high winds. We were driven by a Spanish
coach and driver to Malaga. It was horrific! he spent most of his time on
his mobile phone and was travelling at 110 to 130 kms. an hour. This
accident should never have happened, most drivers drink between 2 and 5pm
and then go back to work. Ridiculous state of affairs and it is about time
the government in Spain stopped this stupid siesta break during the day.
Hayley
20 Apr 2008, 11:31
20 Apr 2008, 11:31
This is so awful. my heart is with all the families that have lost someone
so special.
resident
20 Apr 2008, 13:11
20 Apr 2008, 13:11
For 'Gareth' This has nothing to do with the siesta. This is the
responsibility of the driver of the 4x4, not the coach driver, who also
sadly lost his life in this tragedy.
If you lived here, you would appreciate why we need that siesta. What we dont need is idiot drink drivers. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but please remember people have died here. All you had was a bit of a diversion and a bad coach journey.
Thanks and God Bless those who have lost their lives.
If you lived here, you would appreciate why we need that siesta. What we dont need is idiot drink drivers. I'm sorry you had a bad experience, but please remember people have died here. All you had was a bit of a diversion and a bad coach journey.
Thanks and God Bless those who have lost their lives.
Finn
20 Apr 2008, 13:13
20 Apr 2008, 13:13
Sad but these things happen. That's the way it goes.
kris
20 Apr 2008, 14:58
20 Apr 2008, 14:58
I hope that after this sad tragedy, tolerance "nolla" for alcohol if you
drive .And very big sentence for this driver.
Steve
20 Apr 2008, 15:51
20 Apr 2008, 15:51
I am so sorry to hear about this awful crash, my heart goes out to all
concerned. Ive known this road since it opened and travel it regularly, the
problem is everyone speeds regardless of if they are Male or Female so
please slow down and think of others.
jimmy
20 Apr 2008, 19:25
20 Apr 2008, 19:25
i was on the road last night at the time of the crash travelling in the
opposite direction.four hours later i passed again on the side of the crash
and they were still working.i do this every sat evenng,and i must say the
driving of some people is nothing short of appalling.im in a fast mercedes
car and im overtaken on both side regular.if you stick to the speed limits
this is what happens,its madness.
Carlos
20 Apr 2008, 21:44
20 Apr 2008, 21:44
It is sad but this things happen, here in Spain, in France or in Germany.
I can understand that Finnish are angry and sad (we the Spanish as well) but I have to answer to the person who said: "most drivers drink between 2 and 5pm and then go back to work. Ridiculous state of affairs and it is about time the government in Spain stopped this stupid siesta break during the day".
No, this is not the way it is, in fact we sleep siesta in holidays, not during the normal year, and it is not stupid, it is healthy. And most drivers do not drink, only some of them who should be in jail. I lived in Finland (Hki) for two years and I can say that there people do not drive as well as you believe and I can say also that social problem with alcohol is quite serious, probably worse than here.
So please, do not say bullshit. And if you don´t like Spain don´t come, nobody forces you to come.
I can understand that Finnish are angry and sad (we the Spanish as well) but I have to answer to the person who said: "most drivers drink between 2 and 5pm and then go back to work. Ridiculous state of affairs and it is about time the government in Spain stopped this stupid siesta break during the day".
No, this is not the way it is, in fact we sleep siesta in holidays, not during the normal year, and it is not stupid, it is healthy. And most drivers do not drink, only some of them who should be in jail. I lived in Finland (Hki) for two years and I can say that there people do not drive as well as you believe and I can say also that social problem with alcohol is quite serious, probably worse than here.
So please, do not say bullshit. And if you don´t like Spain don´t come, nobody forces you to come.
RWC
20 Apr 2008, 22:47
20 Apr 2008, 22:47
Majority of us Finnish people surely understand, that Spaniards generally
are not responsible of what happened. It is naiive to even think like that.
Instead we should be furious to these drunk drivers, who don´t appreciate
a human life at all. I really hope that this guy gets what he deserves.
I´d rather be thankful to those by-passers and rescueworkers, who did everything they could to save people.
God bless the victims and their relatives
I´d rather be thankful to those by-passers and rescueworkers, who did everything they could to save people.
God bless the victims and their relatives
laura
21 Apr 2008, 06:06
21 Apr 2008, 06:06
miten tällaisa annetaan tapahtua? Turvavyöt busseihin ja liikenne
rauhallisemmaksi, meno kuin villissä lännessä! Toivottavasti
sanakirjassa oli kaikki sanat?
KJ
21 Apr 2008, 09:50
21 Apr 2008, 09:50
Welcome to the tailgating capital of the world.
patrick
21 Apr 2008, 23:38
21 Apr 2008, 23:38
Firstly,condolences to all the families of everyone.
I would only say that it appears in this case that the Spanish coach driver was at fault but that the DRUNKEN SPANISH 4x4 DRIVER WAS and that I hope he gets Cancer for what he's done.
I,probably like most people have been driving at regulation speeds on Motorways and have been passed by Coaches or Buses loaded with passengers who must have been terrified by the drivers manner of driving.In this post-Franco era,when nobody wants the Police to be as proficient or keen in stopping and checking vehicles or people or to be seen too much as they once were then unfortunately this is the price we pay.
I would only say that it appears in this case that the Spanish coach driver was at fault but that the DRUNKEN SPANISH 4x4 DRIVER WAS and that I hope he gets Cancer for what he's done.
I,probably like most people have been driving at regulation speeds on Motorways and have been passed by Coaches or Buses loaded with passengers who must have been terrified by the drivers manner of driving.In this post-Franco era,when nobody wants the Police to be as proficient or keen in stopping and checking vehicles or people or to be seen too much as they once were then unfortunately this is the price we pay.
Sirkka Stephens
21 Apr 2008, 23:44
21 Apr 2008, 23:44
Sara
Lauralle: bussissa oli turvavyöt mutta kaikki eivät käyttäneet niitä. Surunvalitukset onnettomuuden uhreille ja omaisille.
To Laura: The bus had safety belts, but many did not have them on.
So sad people are in such a hurry to overtake, even in bad weather.
Sincere condolences to all the victims and their relatives.
Lauralle: bussissa oli turvavyöt mutta kaikki eivät käyttäneet niitä. Surunvalitukset onnettomuuden uhreille ja omaisille.
To Laura: The bus had safety belts, but many did not have them on.
So sad people are in such a hurry to overtake, even in bad weather.
Sincere condolences to all the victims and their relatives.
Tony
24 Apr 2008, 20:15
24 Apr 2008, 20:15
THIS IS A PROBLEM THE WHOLE WORLD OVER!
Santiago
25 Apr 2008, 13:07
25 Apr 2008, 13:07
I´m heartbroken over this accident. I am Spanish and I hate the way we
drive. Neither driving schools nor personal preferences favor respect for
the others and civic responsibility. It is a shame. My condolences to the
victim´s relatives and my regrets for the way we behave. I think that
complaints should be sent toSpanish authorities regarding this plague of
road accidents and that tourists should boicot Spanish tourism until
something serious is done regarding this plague.
Please keep to the subject. Opinions published here are of our visitors, not the Typically Spanish team. Comments which go against Spanish laws or which are libellous are not allowed. We reserve the right to delete any comment we wish.
Por favor, céntrate en el tema. Son las opiniones de los internautas, y no las de Typically Spanish. No está permitido verter comentarios contrarios a las leyes españolas o injuriantes. Reservado el derecho a eliminar los comentarios que consideremos fuera de tema.
Por favor, céntrate en el tema. Son las opiniones de los internautas, y no las de Typically Spanish. No está permitido verter comentarios contrarios a las leyes españolas o injuriantes. Reservado el derecho a eliminar los comentarios que consideremos fuera de tema.
