Devastating.
Twenty-nine German tourists have reportedly died after their bus spun off the road.
The bus tumbled down a slope before crashing into a house on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
The cause of the crash is not known, but it’s believed that every person onboard was German.
“I have no words to describe what happened. I cannot face the suffering of these people,” Mayor Filipe Sousa told SIC TV.
There are thought to have been 50 passengers on board the bus.
Reports suggest the incident happened around 6.30pm on Wednesday evening.
“Horrible news comes to us from Madeira,” a German government spokesman tweeted after the crash.
#Portugal #Breaking Tourist bus crash kills 28 in #Madeira Island. #Caniço Mayor confirms death toll. pic.twitter.com/xhMbURKGI7
— José Miguel Sardo (@jmsardo) April 17, 2019
“Our deep sorrow goes to all those who lost their lives in the bus accident, our thoughts are with the injured,” he added.
“I express the sorrow and solidarity of all the Portuguese people in this tragic moment, and especially for the families of the victims who I have been told were all German,” President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told Portuguese television.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Twitter that he had contacted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to convey his condolences
“It is with profound sadness that I heard of the accident on Madeira,” he wrote
“I took the occasion to convey my sadness to Chancellor Angela Merkel at this difficult time,” he added.
