At least 28 people have died after a
bus carrying German tourists plunged off a road and overturned on the
Portuguese island of Madeira.
Another 28 were injured in the accident near the town of Caniço, according to national news agency Lusa.
The
accident happened at 18:30 (17:30 GMT) when the driver lost control of
the bus at a junction and went off the road, reports said.
Portuguese media showed the overturned vehicle had come to rest near houses.
"I
have no words to describe what happened. I cannot face the suffering of
these people," local Mayor Filipe Sousa told broadcaster SIC TV.
He
said all the tourists on the bus were German but some local people
could also be among the casualties. Eleven of the fatalities were men
and 17 women, Mr Sousa added. The bus was reported to be carrying 55
people.
The scene of the crash has been sealed off and the
injured transferred to a hospital in the island's capital, Funchal, Lusa
said. An investigation into the crash has been launched.
Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is flying to the island to visit the scene, the agency said.
Prime Minister Antonio Costa has sent a message of condolence to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Reuters reported.
