Bus collision kills 6, injures dozens in Sweden

Two crowded commuter buses collided Tuesday on a slippery road in central Sweden, killing six people and injuring dozens, rescue and hospital officials said.

Photo: Bus collision kills 6, injures dozens in Sweden

The crash occurred outside Uppsala, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) north of Stockholm, rescue service SOS Alarm spokesman Leif Hammarstedt said.

TV footage from the scene showed the yellow buses in a snow-covered ditch next to a country road lined with pine trees.

Uppsala University Hospital said it had received 10 injured passengers, four of whom were in serious but stable condition. About 30 other people had been admitted for treatment for shock, hospital spokeswoman Karin Sandell said.

Fourteen passengers with minor injuries were sent to other hospitals in the region, she said.

Hammerstedt said 10 ambulances, seven fire trucks and several rescue helicopters were dispatched to the scene.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, but Hammarstedt said roads in the area were dangerous because of the wintry conditions. "There has been snowfall and the roads are slippery and slushy," he said.

The Swedish Accident Investigation Board launched an investigation.

None of those killed in the crash had been identified, police spokesman Christer Nordstrom said. The total number of passengers was not clear, reports AP.

The Swedish Road Administration said the road was closed at the site of the crash near Lejsta, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) northeast of Uppsala.

Both buses belonged to regional transport authority Upplands Lokaltrafik, and were traveling in opposite directions when they collided, company spokesman Sture Jonsson said.