8 killed as Czech bus crashes in Croatia

At least eight Czech vacationers were killed when their bus crashed in Croatia.

More than 40 others have been injured, said Karel Srol, deputy spokesman for the Czech Republic's foreign ministry, according to CNN. The 51 passengers where traveling from their country to a summer holiday in Croatia when the crash happened Saturday morning.

Voice of America reported that most of the injured passengers were taken to a nearby hospital, but three of the victims — including two children — were severely injured and flown to Zagreb for treatment.

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The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but local media said the bus hit a road barrier, turned over and smashed into a concrete fence on the opposite side of the road, according to Agence France-Presse. The accident occurred around 4 a.m. local time on a road leading to Split, a popular tourist destination.

"Our embassy in Croatia is closely monitoring the situation. Diplomats and consular staff are en route to the scene of the incident and are visiting some of the injured in hospitals," Srol said to CNN.

Around 10 million tourists visit Croatia each year, with hundreds of thousands of them being Czechs, said AFP. The picturesque Adriatic coast, where Split is located, is well known as a tourist destination.