At least three people died and eight others including a young child were fighting for their lives tonight after a tourist coach ran into a cliff face in the south-west of France.

The horrific accident happened in darkness, late on Sunday afternoon, close to the Pyrenees ski resort of Porté-Puymorens, near Andorra.

There were 48 passengers on board the Spanish coach, which overturned on the RN320 road after hitting the cliff.

“Five helicopters are involved in an operation to rescue more victims,” said a spokesman for local emergency services.

“So far, three people have died, and eight others are in intensive care in nearby hospitals,” he said soon after 9pm.

“One of those in intensive care is a four-year-old child who was travelling with his parents.”

A spokesman for the local prefecture said the accident happened around 5pm, and those involved were mainly Spanish and Colombian nationals.

No other details have yet been released about the dead and injured.

François Durovray, France’s transport minister, said on X: “My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those injured.

“I would like to commend the commitment of the emergency services, security services, and local authorities in the face of this dramatic situation. I am following the situation closely – safety on our roads remains an absolute priority.”