At least three killed & four seriously hurt after packed bus ‘with tourists on board’ plunges into lake in Norway

AT least three passengers have been killed after a packed bus plunged into a lake in Norway.

The bus was said to be carrying 58 passengers - including "many foreign nationals" - when it skidded off a main road during bad weather.

The vehicle was travelling on the E10 in Hadsel in Nordland county when it crashed through a barrier and into a lake.

There had been reports of heavy snow drifts and strong winds in the area.

Bent Are Eilertsen from Nordland Police said three people have been confirmed dead so far and at least four are seriously injured.

Many passengers are foreign nationals, with people from at least eight different counties on board, according to local reports.

The Chinese embassy in Oslo have revealed that around 20 Chinese passengers were on board.

As far as they know, none of these are among the dead.

Martin Reberg, general manager of Boreal Buss AS - a Norwegian bus company - confirmed the crash involved one of their vehicles, reports.

It was on a trip from Narvik to Lofoten.

Rescue leader Ørjan Delbekk told VG the bus is partially underwater and the extent of the damage is not yet clear.

He said a large rescue operation is underway - with helicopters sent from nearby cities and volunteers from the Red Cross.

Eilertsen said some of the passengers had been evacuated to a nearby school and hotel.

Emergency crews have praised brave locals Tobias Fredriksen and Freddy Andreassen for their life-saving efforts after the fatal crash.

Hero Andreassen, who rushed to the scene, told VG: "People were screaming and in shock.

"I backed the trailer so that people could get into it and get shelter from the wind.

"Then I see that there is a lifeless woman lying on the ground, and we can't find a pulse."

Fredriksen climbed into the bus to help those stuck inside, some of them trapped in cold water.

He said it took 30 to 45 minutes for emergency crews to arrive.

Randi Angelsen, Nordland's Communications manager, told VG: "Additional resources including personnel, ambulances, helicopters and aircraft resources have been called in to transport injured people to the hospital."

Martin Reberg, general manager of Boreal Buss AS, said: "This is a serious incident, and we have set up a crisis team in Boreal.

"We are cooperating with the emergency services and of course assisting with all the resources we can."

A photojournalist who reached the scene told the media outlet: It appears that the bus has driven through the guardrail and down the slope to Åsvatnet.

"There was a very strong wind and dense snow drifts when I arrived at the scene."

A local resident of the area added: "There were a lot of emergency services, panic and chaos at the scene.

"There were lots of cars there. People stopped and let people into the cars so they could warm up."