LATEST: 23 passengers are evacuated in the fire brigade’s vehicles. The 23 passengers are driven west towards Breistøl before being driven on to Håbakken café where the municipality has set up a shelter for the evacuees. The police received a report about the accident just before 3pm on Monday afternoon. The bus has overturned and is lying on its side in Mørkedalen, between Borlaugkrysset and Hemsedalsfjellet. It should lie with the doors down. So far, no serious injuries have been reported, but some of the passengers are said to be bruised and have pain in their bodies, the West police district reports. The bus is on the side next to the main road. Photo: Jan Christian Jerving Lærdal municipality has seen crisis staff. The mountain crossing will be closed until Tuesday at 07:00, reports the National Road Administration. – The bus must have first driven into the ditch, then the wind took hold and partially overturned it on its side, says operations manager Dan Erik Johannessen. The bus is a double-decker from Vy that was on its way from Oslo to Førde. Everyone is still on the bus. Resources are on their way into the area now, but conditions are demanding on Hemsedalsfjellet måndag. Photo: Jan Christian Jerving Pre-emptive evacuation – demanding conditions on the mountain At 1645 the police report that they are to pre-evacuate the passengers. Buses and minibuses are ready and the police have inspected two tracked vehicles that are on their way to the area. Johannesen in the police says there are difficult weather conditions on the mountain. – There are downright unpleasant conditions in the area: average winds of 18 meters per second and strong gusts of up to 30 meters per second, there is snow and of course cold, says Johannessen. The police have contacted the Main Rescue Center in Southern Norway to get the people in the bus out. – Does it mean Norwegian People’s Aid or the Red Cross Relief Corps? – We have connected an extra bus to get it into the area, but we can’t trust that it will work. At the same time, we are thinking of rescue with those resources, yes. Has appointed crisis staff Lærdal municipality has appointed crisis staff as a result of the bus overturn. – We have made arrangements to welcome the passengers in a cafe. We expect to get them down to the valley within a short time, says mayor Audun Mo. – The cafe is good and warm and the passengers will also get food there, he adds. The overturn was reported in a triple notification via AMK. Naudetatane is on the way from both sides of the mountain pass. – No serious injuries have been reported, but some are probably slightly bruised, Johannessen says. Press officer Siv Egger Westin at Vy says a bus has been sent to the town to take the passengers on to Førde. The bus has overturned near Eldrevatnet in Mørkedalen between Borlaugkrysset and Hemsedalsfjellet.
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A bus with 38 people on board has overturned on Hemsedalsfjellet – news Vestland
