This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/6910660.stm

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
French coach crash kills pilgrims French coach crash kills pilgrims
(about 1 hour later)
At least 24 people have died in a coach crash near the south-eastern city of Grenoble in the French Alps, emergency services have said. At least 26 people have died in a coach crash near the south-eastern city of Grenoble in the French Alps.
The coach, carrying about 50 Roman Catholic pilgrims from Poland, fell into a ravine while descending a steep incline between Grenoble and Gap. The coach, carrying Roman Catholic pilgrims from Poland, fell into a ravine while descending a steep incline between Grenoble and Gap.
It broke through the safety barrier, fell 15m (50 ft) onto the banks of a stream, and burst into flames. It broke through the safety barrier, fell 15m (50 ft) onto the banks of a stream, and burst into flames. About 20 passengers were also injured.
The coach was returning from the shrine of Notre-dame-de-la-Salette.The coach was returning from the shrine of Notre-dame-de-la-Salette.
At least 20 people were also injured in the crash, several of them seriously.
A number of people are reported to be missing. Passengers may have been thrown out of the bus and into the river, firefighters said.
The coach, which came from Poland and was on its way back, was carrying 49 passengers and two drivers.The coach, which came from Poland and was on its way back, was carrying 49 passengers and two drivers.
It appears to have suffered a problem with its brakes, police said. Dangerous
The crash occurred near the shrine - a Catholic holy site where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to two children in 1846. Skid marks on a long stretch of tarmac suggest that the brakes failed.
Coaches are prohibited from using the road unless they have a special permit. Local people brought buckets of water to put out a fire on the bus before emergency services arrived in force.
The injured were shuttled to hospital by ambulance and helicopter.
A number of people are reported to be missing. Passengers may have been thrown out of the bus and into the river, firefighters said.
Hugh Schofield in Paris says the busy mountain road is known to be dangerous and there have been several accidents there in the past.
Investigators will want to know if the Polish coach was in a proper state and if it was fitted with the electronic braking system compulsory for excursions into the mountains, our correspondent adds.
The shrine at Notre-dame-de-la-Salette is where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared to two children in 1846.