A criminal investigation was opened on Monday following a coach crash in the French Pyrenees which claimed at least two lives and left eight others including a young child in intensive care.
Perpignan prosecutors opened a formal investigation as police waited to interview the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash close to the ski resort of Porté-Puymorens, near Andorra.
He was heavily sedated following an operation and so far “unable to explain exactly what happened” during the drama on Sunday evening, said a spokesman for local emergency services.
Surviving passengers said the coach had zigzagged out of control, after the brakes of the Spanish coach appeared to fail.
“The driver was desperately trying to stop the vehicle on the mountain road,” said the source.
“After brushing the safety barriers by the side of the carriageway, the coach ended up crashing into a cliff face.”
A witness named only at Laurent, an off-duty firefighter, told the Perpignan-based Indépendant news outlet: “We were driving behind. He [the driver] had been zigzagging for a kilometre and a half.
“It seemed like he was trying to rub the barrier, as if he wanted to lose speed, before crashing into the cliff.”
The death toll on the RN320 road was originally announced as three on Sunday night, before being revised down to two on Monday morning.
The investigating source said: “Police officers from Prades are working to the Perpignan prosecutor and are looking for answers.
“The scene of the tragedy has been closed, so as to allow the police officers to take measurements on the ground, in particular, and around the point of impact.
“The key witness is of course the driver, and he will be heard as soon as he is well enough.”
A spokesman for the local prefecture said the incident happened around 5pm, and those involved were mainly Spanish and Colombian nationals.
No other details have yet been released about the dead and injured.
François Durovray, France’s transport minister, said on X: “My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those injured.
“I would like to commend the commitment of the emergency services, security services, and local authorities in the face of this dramatic situation. I am following the situation closely – safety on our roads remains an absolute priority.”
The coach, which was on its way back to its home depot in Barcelona following a day trip to Andorra, was the only vehicle involved in the accident.
Jean-Philippe Augé, the Mayor of Porté-Puymorens, said: “This is a tragedy, and we have to be cautious about the human toll. It could rise overnight.
“What I can tell you is that the road in question, the RN320, is not known for being particularly accident-prone.
“It is narrow, of course, and the bend on the descent is a bit sharp, but until now it has never been the cause of accidents of this seriousness.”
Mr Augé said a “psychological unit” had been set up in his town’s holiday centre, to help survivors and their families.
All of those on board the coach had spent the day Christmas shopping in El Pas de la Casa, the Andorran ski resort, which is about 150 miles from Barcelona.
