S'porean passengers suffered minor injuries in Norway bus crash
Passengers from Singapore suffered minor injuries in a deadly bus crash in Norway that resulted in three deaths after the vehicle went off the road, and have received consular assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
In response to queries by The Straits Times, MFA said on Dec 28 that it has been offering support to the affected Singaporeans through the Honorary Consul-General (HCG) in Oslo.
“Our HCG has been in touch with the local authorities,” it said.
The ministry did not indicate how many Singaporeans were injured in the crash.
The accident happened on Dec 26 at 1.30pm local time (8.30pm Singapore time) while there were 58 passengers on board the bus, the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Singapore told ST on Dec 27.
The bus ended up partially submerged in a lake near the Raftsundet strait, which separates the Lofoten archipelago from the Norwegian mainland.
Two women, one in her 20s-30s and the other in her 40s-50s, and a child aged 10 to 12 died in the accident, according to local media.
Their nationalities have not been revealed by local police, who said their identities are being clarified while autopsies are being conducted.
According to media reports, passengers from the following eight countries were on the bus: China, France, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and South Sudan.
The road was slippery with snow and ice, the Norwegian embassy in Singapore said, adding that it has not been informed of any Singaporean casualties.
“The press has interviewed at least one Singaporean that was slightly injured. None of the injuries are reported to be life-threatening,” it said.
“We have no information regarding the number of Singaporeans on board the bus.”
The Lofoten archipelago is a popular winter destination to watch the northern lights.
The bus has been lifted out of the water, the Norwegian police said on Dec 27, and the bus driver has been charged with violating the Road Traffic Act.
The police have also seized his driving licence and taken a blood sample.
Investigations are ongoing.
According to media reports, the Chinese embassy in Oslo said there were about 20 Chinese passengers on the same bus and none of them are among the dead.
A few of the bus passengers from China have shared their accounts on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, with some writing their posts from their hospital beds.
The Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Dec 27 that it is communicating with Norwegian authorities about the incident, and has sent a consular team to Norway to provide assistance to Malaysian citizens affected by the crash.
In response to ST’s queries, the Malaysian ministry said its citizens with minor injuries have been re-located to crisis centres at two hotels near the crash site – Hotel Richard in Stokmarknes and Thon Hotel in Lofoten.
It added that four Malaysian nationals are staying at Thon Hotel, where they were provided with accommodation.
“However, due to ongoing investigations, these passengers have not been allowed access to phones or direct communication with the outside world,” the ministry said, adding that hotel employees are also restricted from contacting them.
- Additional reporting by Lok Jian Wen
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