Thirteen international students die in fatal coach crash in Spain

On Sunday morning, a coach carrying sixty students crashed in Spain. Thirteen of those on board died and 43 were injured. There were three Dutch students on the coach, but they survived.

On board the coach were exchange students from many different countries. They were driving back to Barcelona from taking part in festivities in Valencia when the coach crashed into a car. The coach was the last in a column of five coaches. The students in the first four coaches only heard about the accident in Barcelona, reports El Mundo.

One seat to the left

In the AD newspaper, one of the Dutch passengers tells his story. “I’m now having coffee with my parents. One seat to the left or right, and it might have been a very different story,” Joost Opstelten (23) from Utrecht tells the newspaper. He was sitting in the coach with Dennis Schouten (23) from Leiderdorp. The identity of the third Dutch student has not yet been made public.

After the accident, both students were supported by victim support. They haven’t decided whether to continue their exchange in Barcelona. Little is known about the cause of the accident. Why the driver lost control around the bend is not clear. However, he tested negative for alcohol and drugs.