As many as 29 people are dead and nearly 30 are hurt after a tourist bus crashed on Portugal’s Madeira island on Wednesday, said reports citing authorities in the area.
The bus crashed on the island of Madeira, Lusa news agency reported.
Local mayor Filipe Sousa confirmed the crash in an interview with SIC Television. He said the bus was carrying 55 people, and rolled down a steep hillside after veering off the road on a bend east of the capital, Funchal.
“I have no words to describe what happened. I cannot face the suffering of these people,” Sousa said.
The crash occurred in early evening daylight, and the exact cause is not yet known.
Sousa said the tourists on the bus were all German but some pedestrians might have been hit by the bus.
Those injured were taken to a hospital in Funchal, the capital city of Madeira.
Global News has reached out to Global Affairs Canada for information on any Canadians that may be impacted by the incident.
— With files from Reuters, The Associated Press