Madeira bus crash - 29 German tourists dead

A bus carrying German tourists, a Portuguese driver and a local guide, has crashed in Madeira, killing 29 people.

All of the fatalities were German, reported Portugal’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday which reiterated the government's condolences to the families of the victims.

The bus, chartered by Travel One, careered down a steep slope after leaving a curve, on a road east of Funchal on Wednesday afternoon. The weather was good and there was good visibility at around 6:30 when the bus careered off the road and ended up embedded in a house in Caniço.

Authorities said they were investigating the cause of the accident and will be inspecting the bus for mechanical problems. The bus company, Sociedade de Automóveis da Madeira said it would be cooperating fully with the investigation.

Local TV broadcast images of corpses scattered around the crash site. Of the dead, 18 were women and 11 men.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, expressed her sadness over the accident, "My sincerest condolences go especially to all the families who have lost their loved ones in this tragedy," she said. Portugal’s Prime Minister, António Costa, has sent his condolences to the German Chancellor.

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