Bus carrying S'pore tourists ends up partially submerged in Norway lake
A trip to Norway this month to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights turned awry for Mr Ng and his wife, after their tour bus veered off the road and ended up partially submerged in a lake on Jan 12.
Carrying 24 Singaporeans, the bus had been en route to Lofoten, a popular winter destination, on the fifth day of the 10-day tour with EU Holidays when the accident happened.
“When the driver was making a bend, the bus skidded and lost control, and flipped on its right,” said the 56-year-old technical manager, who wanted to be known only by his surname. “Things happened very fast, in the blink of an eye. I was in shock.”
Six Singaporeans were taken to the nearest hospital following the accident, which occurred at about 10.30am local time (5.30pm Singapore time), said EU Holidays director Ong Hanjie.
When Mr Ng found his bearings after the crash, he found himself suspended in the air by his seatbelt. “The bus had slipped into the lake and the glass panels on the right were shattered,” he recalled.
The couple, who were sitting on the left side of the bus, then crawled towards the back of the vehicle. The bus’ rear windscreen was broken, allowing them to exit through it.
“It was raining heavily, and the winds were strong,” said Mr Ng, who had left the bus without his jacket. “I could feel the force of the wind swaying me and could not walk straight.”
After wading through knee-deep snow, the couple then found refuge in another tour bus which had stopped near the scene, and emergency vehicles arrived within 30 minutes, according to Mr Ng.
The passengers were taken to an emergency centre at a nearby town, and six of them were subsequently taken to the hospital. Mr Ng said he and his wife escaped the accident with shoulder aches and did not need to be taken to the hospital.
All 24 passengers returned to Singapore on Jan 17, as per the tour itinerary, according to Mr Ong.
Mr Ng said he is still recovering mentally from the accident, and is not going to travel again until he gets over the incident.
Another couple, who wanted to be known only as Mr and Mrs Tan, both 49, were also on that tour bus, and are still processing the accident.
Mr Tan suffered a neck fracture and head laceration from the accident and had to be taken to the hospital in Norway. He continues to receive medical treatment in Singapore. Mrs Tan sustained bruises on her leg.
Their daughter, a 24-year-old student who wanted to be known only as Ms Tan, said the “stressful and chaotic” incident left her parents “deeply traumatised”. She said: “Personally, I’m just glad they are safe and back in Singapore.”
EU Holidays has provided a 60 per cent refund to the 24 Singaporeans affected, said its director, Mr Ong. He added that following the accident, the group travelled by cruise or domestic flights on some occasions during the remainder of the tour, instead of by bus.
“This was an unexpected and unfortunate incident, and we deeply regret that it occurred,” said Mr Ong, adding that the agency will continue to help the tourists with their insurance claims.
He added that there are no immediate plans to make any changes to the tour itinerary for other groups, because the route used by the bus before the accident is unavoidable for the tour.
Mr Ong said: “The driver was operating the coach at... between 30kmh and 40kmh, and the coach was fully equipped for the conditions, including snow tires. Passengers were also reminded to keep their seatbelts fastened at all times.”
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