'I've never seen anything worse': Norway bus accident eyewitness
A bus carrying foreign tourists veered off a road in Norway on Boxing Day and landed in a lake.
According to Norwegian daily Dagsavisen, the local police earlier stated that there were 58 people in the bus but in an update at 7pm (2am on Dec 27 Singapore time), they said it was hard to tell.
The accident had occurred at about 1pm local time.
"We got a number from the bus driver but it is uncertain if anyone alighted from the bus en route," said Nordland Police District Chief of Staff Bent Are Eilertsen.
The bus, which was reportedly carrying tourists from China, France, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore and South Sudan, ended up partially submerged in a lake near the Raftsundet strait that separates the Lofoten archipelago from the Norwegian mainland.
The Chinese embassy said there were 20 Chinese nationals on the bus.
It was reported that many parts of Norway was experiencing bad weather on Boxing Day.
Three people have been reported dead and four others injured. Their identities and nationalities remain unknown.
Mr Yngvar Gustavsen, who was driving a few hundred metres behind the bus, was among the first eyewitnesses to help the victims out of the bus.
"When I got near the water, I thought I had never seen anything worse," he said.
"The bus was partially submerged in the water, which had ice floating in it. It was also very windy."
A Nordland Hospital spokesperson said 11 people from the accident were taken to the hospital – two by helicopter and nine by ambulance.
The Norwegian Embassy in Singapore said that at least one Singapore citizen was slightly injured.
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