A bus carrying Polish pilgrims veered off the road and fell into a river Sunday, killing at least 25. The hellish accident occurred near the city of Grenoble, eastern France, French media reported.
Another 24 people were seriously injured, local authorities said. The pilgrims were traveling back from a holy site in the French Alps.
The accident occurred on a steep descent near Grenoble, at about 9:30 am local time.
The prefecture of the Isere region in southeast France said the bus was carrying 49 passengers, a driver and another person who was likely a second driver. Many of the passengers were elderly, rescue workers said.
Seven people had light injuries, the prefecture said.
Four or five people whose names appeared on the passenger list were still unaccounted for, firefighters on the scene said.
Firefighters said the bus suffered a problem with its brakes and plowed through a protective fence, falling onto the bank of the La Romanche River below the road.