Dozens injured, including children after tourist bus crash in Dominican Republic (GRAPHIC)
A bus full of tourists has collided with a truck on a highway in the Dominican Republic, resulting in some serious injuries but no deaths. Dramatic photos and video from the scene have made their way to social media.
The crash took place Tuesday on the Autopista del Coral, near the exit for the city of Higuey. There were around 70 passengers on board, most of them Russian.
Video taken by passing motorists and sent to local media shows a bus flipped on its side across a highway, after reportedly colliding with a heavy truck.
#Video | Autobús cargado de turistas choca con un camión en la autovía del Coral https://t.co/Jcip4sVgir#LaRepúblicaLD#ListínDiariopic.twitter.com/lCBEgfaj7K
— Listín Diario (@ListinDiario) November 26, 2019
The Russian embassy in Venezuela – which also serves the Dominican Republic and Haiti – has confirmed there were 39 Russian nationals on board the bus, citing its officials in Punta Cana.
Local newspaper Listin Diario reported that 17 Russians were injured in the incident, including seven whose injuries are serious. Another report says eight of the injured are children.
“There are no dead among our citizens, but there are several people with injuries of various severity,” the embassy officials told TASS.
Más imágenes de turistas rusos accidentados en autopista El Coral. Autobús en que viajaban chico al parecer con otro vehículo cuyo conductor se durmió. Enviado al #whatsappdecavadapic.twitter.com/DHV8YDzqB5
— roberto cavada (@rcavada) November 26, 2019
Another video from the scene shows bloodied passengers being helped by Dominican emergency service personnel. At least one helicopter was dispatched to evacuate the injured.
Unos 41 turistas resultaron heridos, cinco de estos se encuentran en estado grave, luego de que un camión impactara con el autobús en el que se transportaban en la autopista del Coral tramo carretero Higuey-LaRomana. #informandopic.twitter.com/52Y4e3ksdA
— Informando (@InformandoRD7) November 26, 2019
The bus was taking tourists to the airport, but flipped over on the road after it was struck by a truck whose driver had reportedly fallen asleep.
#AeroAmbulancia se encuentra dándole asistencia a los 70 turistas accidentados en la Autovía El Coral, próximo a Higüey.#AeroAmbulanciaRD#CuandoLosMinutosCuentanpic.twitter.com/QwRInjiEi1
— AeroAmbulancia (@Aero_Ambulancia) November 26, 2019
About five million tourists visit the Dominican Republic every year. The Caribbean nation, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, has seen a sharp increase in the number of visitors from Russia in the past several years – over 250,000 in 2017, overtaking France – driven by increased offerings from Russian tour operators.
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