British tourists injured

The coach overturned as it swerved around two crashed trucks

Ten British tourists and 16 Germans have been injured in a coach crash in the Algarve in which two Portuguese men died.

The tourists were on a day-trip to Expo 98 in Lisbon with a Portuguese guide and the driver, according to a spokesman for Megatours tour company.

The road is a notorious accident blackspot

The accident happened near Mimosa, 62 miles (100 km) south of Lisbon, when the coach overturned after swerving to avoid an accident between two trucks which had killed the two Portuguese men. A car then hit the bus from behind.

The 26 tourists were treated for cuts and bruises at a nearby hospital. Three Portuguese were seriously injured.

The British and German embassies in Lisbon said the tourists were given temporary accommodation in the Santiago do Cacem area.

Occupants of one of the lorries died

The accident occurred at about 8.30 a.m. (0730 GMT) on the IP-1 road which has only one lane in each direction.

The busy Algarve-Lisbon road has only two lanes for long stretches and is notorious for accidents.

The mayor of nearby Ourique, Jose Santos, has called for a helicopter ambulance to be deployed permanently near the IP-1.

He was quoted by a Portuguese news agency as describing the highway as "the road of death."