British tourists among 33 injured after bus overturns in France

Flixbus flips onto its side in Somme region during journey from Paris to London

Four passengers were seriously injured in the accident on Sunday morning (Getty)

British tourists were among 29 people injured after a bus overturned in France on its way to London.

The Flixbus, which began its journey in Paris, flipped on to side on the A1 motorway in the northern Somme region on Sunday morning.

It was carrying 32 passengers from nine nations: the UK, France, Spain, USA, Australia, Romania, Mauritius, Japan, and Sri Lanka.

Five of those on board suffered serious injuries and were taken to hospital.

According to local police, 10 British citizens were on board. They included two 20-year-olds from Northern Ireland, Jamie Kerr and Gemma Given, who were treated for head and hand injuries and are now making their own way home.

Mr Kerr’s father John Kerr told the BBC the trip had been “a pretty traumatic end to a Halloween weekend”. He added: ”I feel a bit more could have been done for them.”

The Foreign Office said it was in contact with French authorities in relation to the accident, which happened shortly before midday.

“We will do all we can to assist any British people who need our help,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

The local gendarmerie tweeted a picture of the bus lying on its side on the grass near an exit ramp at Estrées-Deniecourt.

It added: “The gendarmerie and all state services were mobilised to take care of the victims of an accident on the A1.

“The gendarmes worked to ensure traffic avoided the accident and to secure the passengers’ luggage.”

FlixBus, which is based in Germany, said in a statement that an emergency phone number had been set up for passengers and their relatives.

A spokesperson said: “FlixBus is in close contact with the relevant authorities in order to determine the exact cause of the accident and to ensure all passengers receive appropriate support.”

Additional reporting by Press Association