Bosnia bus crash kills 43

Witnesses said whole families were travelling on the bus

Forty-three people died and 12 were seriously injured when the bus they were travelling in plunged into a river in central Bosnia on Saturday.

The bus, carrying Muslim pilgrims from Zenica to the village of Buna in southwestern Bosnia-Hercegovina, crashed through a railing and fell off a bridge into the Bosna river 20 metres below, at 6am local time (0400 GMT).

The accident happened near the town of Kakanj, 50km (30 miles) northwest of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.

Initially police said 42 people were confirmed dead and 12 were taken to hospital with serious injuries. Later, hospital staff said one of the 12, an elderly woman, died in hospital.

The bus plunged about 20 metres into the river below

Survivors said the driver had first lost control of the vehicle and crossed into the oncoming lane of the road.

The driver was among the survivors.

Families

Witnesses said entire families, including children, were on the bus.

A seven-year-old girl was brought to hospital clinically dead but was resuscitated, doctors said.

Rescuers worked through the morning trying to find survivors and recover the bodies from the wreckage.

The pilgrims were on their way to the village of Buna in Hercegovina for the annual Mevlud, or Muslim religious festival, at a local shrine.

No reason was given for the accident, but heavy rain had fallen during the night.