At least 46 people have been injured, four of them critically, after a passenger bus crashed into the façade of a building in the centre of the Catalan city of Lleida on Wednesday morning.
The accident happened at around 7.15am on Rambla Ferran, close to the Pont Vell bridge, when, for reasons that remain under investigation, the coach suddenly veered across the road, mounted the pavement and slammed into the provincial council building.
Security camera footage from a nearby business appears to show the vehicle travelling normally along Rambla Ferran before unexpectedly swerving across the carriageway and crashing into the pedestrianised area and the building.
According to Catalonia’s Medical Emergency System (SEM), four people suffered critical injuries, while a further nine were seriously hurt. The remaining casualties sustained mainly minor injuries, with more than 30 people receiving treatment from emergency services either at hospitals, an urgent care centre or at the scene.
Among the most seriously injured was a driving instructor accompanying the driver during the journey. Officials confirmed the instructor suffered a severed limb in the collision.
Spanish media reported that the bus driver had only been employed by the company for a matter of days and was undergoing training under the supervision of the more experienced instructor when she lost control of the vehicle.
Local authorities said the vast majority of those on board were seasonal agricultural workers travelling to the southern Segrià area for the fruit harvest.
The severity of the incident prompted a major emergency response. The SEM dispatched 11 ground ambulances, a medical helicopter and trauma psychologists, while 14 crews from the Catalan fire service also attended the scene.
The Catalan health department said 21 injured people were taken to Arnau de Vilanova Hospital, where five underwent emergency surgery and another five were admitted to intensive care. A further 21 casualties with less serious injuries were treated at the CUAP Lleida urgent care centre, with 20 of them later discharged.
The Catalan regional police, the Mossos d’Esquadra, have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash and are examining whether a mechanical failure may have been involved. Officers will also take statements from passengers and eyewitnesses as part of their inquiries.
Lleida mayor Fèlix Larrosa said the driver had only recently joined the bus company. He added that it was ‘a matter of centimetres’ that pedestrians on the busy avenue were not struck, confirming that nobody on the pavement was injured despite the coach mounting the pedestrian area.
The regional president of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, expressed his solidarity with the victims and their families, offered his full support to local authorities and thanked the emergency services for their swift response.
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🔴 RECTIFICACIÓ INFORMACIÓ – Accident trànsit Lleida. Col·lisió d’autobús a Rambla Ferran.
— SEM. Generalitat (@semgencat) July 1, 2026
El SEM ha activat 11 unitats, 1 helicòpter medicalitzat i un equip de psicòlegs i ha atès 44 persones:
– 4 afectats en estat crític (traslladats a l’hospital Arnau de Vilanova… https://t.co/h2Sf5qw4mm
🗣️ José Ramón Ropero, cap territorial del @semgencat a Lleida i Alt Pirineu i Aran confirma 46 atesos, dels quals 4 greus, 9 menys greus i 33 lleus en el xoc de l’autobús a Lleida.
— RTVE Notícies (@rtvenoticies) July 1, 2026
🏥 12 han estat traslladats a @harnaulleida
➕ Info: https://t.co/r8PBUOln01 pic.twitter.com/7Whw1S2qpJ
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