A double-decker bus overturned on a highway between Växjö and Alvesta in southern Sweden on Monday, killing an 18-year-old man and injuring over 40 people, authorities said.
The accident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Route 25, where the bus veered into a ditch on a straight stretch with two lanes in each direction. Police confirmed the victim’s age and said his family had been notified. Region Kronoberg, the local health authority, reported that more than 40 people were affected, with around 10 seriously injured. By Monday evening, 14 people had been hospitalized, including two in intensive care in Växjö, one woman in Karlskrona, and others in Ljungby, Värnamo, and Lund. The bus driver was physically unharmed, according to Andreas Ehrenborg, the bus company’s operational chief.
The bus, operated by Länstrafiken Kronoberg, was a direct service primarily carrying school students and commuters, said traffic director Pär Welander. Emergency services, including ambulances, fire trucks, and a Swedish Maritime Administration helicopter, responded to the scene. Police cordoned off the area for a technical investigation and began interviewing the driver and passengers to determine the cause. “We are very early in the investigation. There were many passengers on the bus, so there is substantial work ahead,” police spokesperson Filip Annas said.
Route 25 remained closed in the direction of Alvesta, with traffic diverted. Trafikverket, Sweden’s transport agency, said the road might reopen by 7 a.m. on Tuesday at the earliest. The region activated its crisis management team, deploying support staff to assist the injured and their relatives. Private citizens also helped passengers exit the bus, local media reported.
On Tuesday, police detained the bus driver on suspicion of a crime, though the exact charges were not specified. Authorities continued their investigation, including further interviews and forensic analysis at the site.
