A bus crash on the AP-7 motorway in Spain killed 13 young Erasmus students from multiple countries, highlighting road safety risks for international exchange programs.
Key Facts
- Date
- 20 March 2016
- Deaths
- 13 people
- Victims' gender
- All female students
- Nationalities on bus
- Students from 20 countries or territories
- Motorway
- Autopista AP-7, near Freginals
- Bus type
- Tata Hispano passenger bus
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A Tata Hispano bus carrying Erasmus exchange students was returning from the Fallas Festival in Valencia to Barcelona when it collided with a car on the Autopista AP-7 motorway near Freginals, Spain. The precise circumstances that led to the collision have not been fully detailed in public sources.
On 20 March 2016, the bus crash resulted in the deaths of 13 young female students of various nationalities, including seven Italians, two Germans, a Romanian, an Uzbek, a French national, and an Austrian. The students on board represented 20 countries or territories. Emergency services responded to the scene on the AP-7 motorway near Freginals.
The accident prompted mourning across Europe and renewed debate about transport safety for student exchange programs. The bus driver survived the crash but died of a heart attack on 6 April 2023. The tragedy drew attention to the vulnerability of Erasmus participants during group travel and led to expressions of condolence from multiple governments.