A fatal accident near Rochefort in the western Charente-Maritime region of France claimed the lives of six schoolchildren on Thursday, as the minibus they were riding in smashed head-on with a lorry carrying rubble at about 7:15 a.m. local time, according to The New York Times.
The bus had been carrying 17 people, six of whom died because of the incident and the other 11 possibly injured as well. However, authorities have announced that so far, only three students have been found to have suffered injuries as a result of the incident.
Jerome Servolle, a police official who responded to the scene, stated that a "gate-like object" swung open from the truck, striking the minibus and slicing through the vehicle at window height, reports The Associated Press.
"The word chaos is not strong enough. This is such a tragedy," Servolle said, referring to the incident.
Rochefort Mayor Herve Blanche has confirmed the casualties of the fatal accident, calling the incident "horrific" and pledging that a full-scale investigation would be initiated. French President Francois Hollande also extended his "deepest sympathies" to the friends and families of the victims, most of whom are yet to be positively identified, reports The Daily Mail.
The minibus' ill-fated trip on Thursday started from Ile d'Oleron, an island off France's Atlantic coast. It was heading toward the town of Surgeres when the fatal crash occurred.
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