Belgian scout bus crashes, two dead

A Belgian bus packed with scouts crashed early Tuesday, killing two young people, seriously injuring 12 others and leaving another 50 with minor injuries, French highway officials said.

A Belgian bus packed with scouts crashed early Tuesday, killing two young people, seriously injuring 12 others and leaving another 50 with minor injuries, French highway officials said.

The bus overturned about 7:50 am on the A71 highway at La Ferte-Saint-Aubin the Loiret region about 155 kilometers south of Paris, according to highway police. The bus was heading from the chateau region of central France toward Paris.

The initial cause of the accident appeared to be due to the driver, who allegedly dozed off while driving the bus, the highway patrol said. The driver was not injured.

The bus belonged to the Leroy-Wavilles company based in Havinnes, near the town of Tournai in Belgium. Mrs. Francine Leroy, the president of the company, told The Associated Press the bus was carrying children who were returning to Jurbise the Mons region in Belgium after a stay at a summer camp in Larrode, near the French city of Clermont-Ferrand.

The scouts were members of the Belgian National Federation of Youth Clubs, French police said.

The accident involved the bus and two cars, according to highway officials.

No other details were immediately available.