2013 Podgorica bus crash
Road incident in Montenegro
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2013 Podgorica bus crash was a traffic collision that occurred on 23 June 2013, near Kolašin, Montenegro,[2] 30 km north of Podgorica.[3][4] The crash took place when a Neoplan Tourliner coach bus departed the roadway during a heavy rainstorm and fell 40 m into a canyon.[3][4]
~17:30 local time
Coordinates:
42.790199°N 19.3939°E
| 2013 Montenegro bus crash | |
|---|---|
 The route of the bus | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Date | June 23, 2013 ~17:30 local time |
| Location | near Morača Monastery, Kolašin Municipality, Montenegro Coordinates: 42.790199°N 19.3939°E |
| Operator | Gregory Tour |
| Incident type | Cliff plunge |
| Cause | Excessive speed during a rainstorm |
| Statistics | |
| Passengers | 47 |
| Deaths | 19[1] |
| Injured | 27 + 1 (pedestrian) |
The 47 passengers, including two drivers from bus operator Gregory Tour and a guide from the tour organizer Maree Travel, were on a six-day tour from Romania to Montenegro and Croatia.[3] All were Romanian nationals.[4]
The final accident report revealed the bus failed to negotiate a curve at the end of a tunnel due to the driver's excessive speed[2] and slippery road conditions.[2][5] In total, 18 people were killed and another 30 wounded.[2][5]
Attempts to rescue the survivors were inhibited by the rocky terrain of the region.[4][6]
Reactions
Montenegro's Interior Minister Raško Konjević described the crash as "an extremely serious accident".[4] Milo Đukanović, the Prime Minister of Montenegro, also visited the victims at the hospital, and expressed his condolences to the Romanian Ambassador to Montenegro.[6] The Serbian Government also offered medical assistance for the injured.[6]
Victor Ponta, the Prime Minister of Romania, announced a day of national mourning [7] for the date June 26. On the same day Montenegro also observed a day of national mourning in solidarity with Romania.