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Hero bus driver saves 60 children from train crash

The Local Germany
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Hero bus driver saves 60 children from train crash
A regional train crashes into the school bus on Wednesday. Photo: Youtube

A cool-headed bus driver saved 60 school children from disaster on Wednesday when she evacuated them from their bus just before it collided with an oncoming train.

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The spectacular collision took place on Wednesday morning in Buxtehude on the outskirts of Hamburg. But thanks to the quick thinking bus driver only one train passenger was lightly injured.

A police spokesperson explained to Bild how the crash came about.

“The B37 road is currently closed due to road works. The bus needed to take a detour through town. As it was crossing the rail tracks the joint system broke stopping it from going further."

The 23-year-old bus driver immediately evacuated the children from the bus and then saved herself.

“The driver had tried to get in contact with [rail operator] Deutsche Bahn. A minute later the train crashed into the bus,” the police spokesperson said.

The train driver tried to engage the emergency brake but it was too late. The locomotive smashed into the front of the bendy bus, crumpling the driver's end of the vehicle.

The train also sustained serious damage and one passenger was lightly injured.

The children were taken to school on a replacement bus, while the train line remained closed later on Wednesday.

“It would've been much worse if the bus driver hadn't been so quick-witted,” said the police spokesperson.

Correction: This article originally stated that a barrier was the cause of the accident. It was in fact a technical failure on the bus.

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