Millas train-bus collision
{{Short description|2017 Train vs. bus crash in France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Old news|date=March 2024}}{{Infobox public transit accident
| name = Perpignan crash
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| image_map = Area map Millas bus accident 2017.png
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| image_map_caption = Area map of the crash site with routes of school bus (yellow line) and train (purple line) before collision.
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| coordinates = {{coord|42.68547|2.70399|type:event}}
| date = 14 December 2017
| time = around 16:00 CET (15:00 UTC)
| location = Millas, Arrondissement of Perpignan, Occitanie
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| country = France
| line = Perpignan – Villefranche-de-Conflent
| operator = SNCF
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| type = Collision with a road vehicle on a level crossing
| cause = Under investigation
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| deaths = 6 (the fifth victim died the day after the crash, the sixth was announced on 18 December){{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/12/15/world/europe/ap-eu-france-train-accident.html|title=French Death Toll Rises to 5 Children in Train-Bus Crash|agency=Associated Press|date=15 December 2017|website=The New York Times|accessdate=19 December 2017}}
| injuries = 24
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The Perpignan crash occurred on about 4pm 14 December 2017 at a level crossing in the commune of Millas, in the French department of Pyrénées-Orientales, between a coach carrying high school students and a TER train, which connects Villefranche - Vernet-les-Bains and Perpignan stations.
Six pupils on board were killed and 24 were seriously injured by the accident. Trains between Perpignan and Villefranche were cancelled.{{cite web|last=Oliphant|first=Vickiie|date=14 December 2017|title=Horror as 4 teenagers killed and 24 injured as school bus cut in half in train crash|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/892396/School-bus-crash-train-TER-Millas-crossing-injured-children-police-France|accessdate=19 December 2017|website=Daily Express}}{{cite web|date=14 December 2017|title=VIDÉO. Pyrénées-Orientales: Quatre enfants tués et une vingtaine de blessés dans une collision entre un bus scolaire et un train|url=http://www.20minutes.fr/faits_divers/2188307-20171214-pyrenees-orientales-plusieurs-blesses-collision-entre-bus-scolaire-train|accessdate=19 December 2017|website=20 minutes}}
Vehicles involved
= Bus =
The road vehicle is a school bus Irisbus Récréo of the company Autocars Faur based in Toulouse that brought back 23 students.{{Cite web |title=Millas : les barrières auraient été fermées, la conductrice du bus en garde à vue |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/12/20/2708144-millas-barrieres-auraient-ete-fermees-conductrice-bus-garde-vue.html |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=ladepeche.fr |language=fr}}{{Cite web |title=[VIDEO] Millas : la polémique monte entre le patron de la société de bus et la SNCF sur l'état des barrières |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/12/15/2705348-drame-millas-barrieres-etaient-levees-quand-bus-franchi-passage-niveau.html |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=ladepeche.fr |language=fr}}
= Train =
The railway vehicle is a self-propelled train of series Z 7300 (element Z 7369).{{Cite web |date=2017-12-22 |title=Accident de Millas: enquête sur une tragédie |url=https://www.parismatch.com/actu/faits-divers/accident-de-millas-enquete-sur-une-tragedie-51172 |access-date=2023-12-30 |website=parismatch.com |language=fr}}
Place
The collision occurred at a level crossing equipped with two half-gates, about one kilometre from the school, at the automatic level crossing No. 25 of the line from Perpignan to Villefranche - Vernet-les-Bains at the place known as Los Palaus in the commune of Millas, about twenty kilometres west of Perpignan{{Cite web |last=à 08h29 |first=Par Par Nicolas Jacquard et Bartolomé Simon Le 15 décembre 2017 |date=2017-12-15 |title=Tragédie au passage à niveau à Millas : "C’est un spectacle d’horreur" |url=https://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/tragedie-au-passage-a-niveau-a-millas-c-est-un-spectacle-d-horreur-15-12-2017-7453626.php |access-date=2024-01-11 |website=leparisien.fr |language=fr-FR}} on departmental road 612 (named Route de Thuir on this section).
Victims
Four pupils on board were killed on the day, and 24 were seriously injured – one of whom died the following day.{{Cite news |date=2017-12-15 |title=France Millas train crash: Children killed as bus cut in two |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42358075 |access-date= |work= |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB}} A sixth fatality was recorded on 18 December.{{cite web |date=18 December 2017 |title=Death toll from French school bus collision rises to six – official |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-crash-toll/death-toll-from-french-school-bus-collision-rises-to-six-official-idUSKBN1EC2IA |accessdate=19 December 2017 |publisher=Reuters}}
Investigation
While visiting the scene, Prime Minister Édouard Philippe said that the "circumstances of this terrible drama are still undetermined."{{cite web|date=14 December 2017|agency=Associated Press|title=Four children killed in bus-train collision in southern France|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/children-killed-bus-train-collision-southern-france-article-1.3698164|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306023528/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/children-killed-bus-train-collision-southern-france-article-1.3698164|archive-date=6 March 2018|accessdate=19 December 2017|website=New York Daily News}} The Minister of Transport Élisabeth Borne also visited the scene. An SNCF official said "several witnesses said the barrier was down" at the time of the crash. According to her employer, the bus driver says that the barriers were up and safe. Drugs and alcohol tests for both the train and the bus drivers were negative.{{cite web|last1=Constant|first1=Julien|last2=Boutry|first2=Timothée|last3=Ducos|first3=Jean-Marc|date=16 December 2017|title=Collision à Millas : les investigations s'annoncent difficiles|url=http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/collision-a-millas-les-investigations-s-annoncent-difficiles-16-12-2017-7455813.php|accessdate=19 December 2017|website=Le Parisien}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{2017 railway accidents}}{{School bus crashes}}
Category:2017 road incidents in Europe
Category:2010s road incidents in France
Category:Bus incidents in France
Category:December 2017 in France
Category:Level crossing incidents in France
Category:Railway accidents in 2017