Seven killed, 44 injured in Croatia bus crash: officials

ZAGREB: A Czech bus carrying about 50 passengers crashed near a tunnel in Croatia early Saturday, killing seven people and injuring at least 44, the national rescue services said.

"A bus with Czech licence plates drove through a safety barrier and turned over" near a tunnel in Sveti Rok, some 230 kilometres (138 miles) south of Zagreb, the National Protection and Rescue Directorate said.

The accident occurred around 4:00 am (0200 GMT) on the road to the Adriatic city of Split, a popular tourist destination. The injured were taken to a hospital in nearby Gospic, while victims with serious injuries were being transferred by a military helicopter to the capital Zagreb, the rescuers said.

Local media said the bus hit the barrier, turned over and smashed into a concrete fence opposite. There were 50 passengers, police spokeswoman Kristina Maodus told Nova TV. All of them were Czech nationals, the channel said, quoting unconfirmed reports.

Some 10 million tourists visit Croatia each year, among them hundreds of thousands of Czechs, vacationing on the picturesque Adriatic coast.