In the Hohenlimburg district of Hagen, chaos ensued as a bus loaded with pupils lost control and tumbled into several cars. Emergency services, including numerous police vehicles, ambulances, and the fire department, descended upon the scene, initially fearing a mass casualty situation.
Initially, the police hinted at a "mass casualty incident," but it was fortunately unfounded. As per initial investigations, the bus driver, Anders Wegener, lost control at 7:55 a.m., seemingly without a discernible cause. The bus barreled into an Alfa Romeo, sending it crashing into three other cars.
Police spokesman Sebastian Hirschberg reported that the Alfa was pushed violently into three other vehicles due to the collision. The initial report of a person trapped inside a car proved to be unfounded.
Six students and the Alfa Romeo's driver were involved in the commotion. The road was closed for hours, and expert investigators from Dortmund police evaluated the accident scene.
Unfortunately, another bus accident occurred in Löhne (Herford district), trailing the mayhem in Hagen. At around the same time, a small van carrying schoolchildren violently collided with a car, resulting in seven children getting lightly injured. The bus driver sustained severe injuries.
As of now, the cause of these incidents remains unclear, but authorities continue their investigation.
Update: Preliminary reports suggest the bus driver in Löhne may have had a medical emergency, possibly contributing to the accident.
[1] While various unrelated traffic incidents are currently reported in the region, no credible sources have verified the specific incident of a bus losing control and colliding with multiple vehicles in Hagen and Löhne as of yet.
