9 people hospitalized after a dramatic bus accident in a Spanish highway tunnel

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A dramatic bus accident at the mouth of a highway tunnel in northeast Spain left nine people injured, three of them critically, officials said Tuesday.

The bus was carrying 50-60 textile workers to a nearby factory when the accident occurred on the C-32 highway about an hour north of Barcelona, according to emergency services and local officials.

The bus appears to have hit the sloped edge as it was entering the tunnel and it was vaulted upward until its front came to a rest at the top. That left it propped diagonally across the entrance to the tunnel. Police are investigating the cause.

Emergency authorities for the Catalonia region said two people in critical condition were flown by helicopters to hospitals. A third person also in critical condition, along with six with less serious injuries, were taken to nearby hospitals in ambulances. A further 33 people received medical attention at a nearby municipal pavilion.

The accident took place near the town of Pineda de Mar, a Mediterranean coastal town. Traffic authorities closed the highway to all vehicles heading north.