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Coach Crash on Barcelona's Diagonal Triggers City Emergency Response
Teams continue support for victims including cruise passengers and Italian students while traffic investigators examine causes.
How we reported this
A collision between two coaches on Avenida Diagonal left 51 people injured, four of them in critical condition, and prompted the city to activate its full emergency protocol on the afternoon of 3 March 2025.
The incident matters now because it directly affected visitors arriving from the Port de Barcelona, a key entry point for many locals and returning residents in Barceloneta. One coach carried students from an Italian school while the other held passengers of various nationalities who had just arrived on a cruise. The overlap with port traffic means Barceloneta households often hear about these events first through family members working nearby or through neighbours who rely on the same roads.
Services already on the ground
City police units, ten fire service teams and twenty ambulances reached the scene at Avenida Diagonal 361 within minutes. In total, emergency staff treated 63 individuals. Four people with critical injuries went to Vall d’Hebron, Sant Pau, Clínic and Mar hospitals; one of them was a minor and another was a pedestrian struck during the crash. Three more patients in serious but stable condition were taken to Sant Joan de Déu, Mar and Sant Pau. Forty-four others with lighter injuries were distributed among several hospitals. Both drivers tested negative for alcohol and drugs, according to the Central Traffic Witness Unit now leading the inquiry.
What happens next
The Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre has been switched on to deliver immediate psychological support and practical help such as transport and accommodation arrangements for those affected. Investigators will continue examining the exact sequence of events at the junction while the same support centre tracks the condition of all 51 injured people over the coming days. Residents in Barceloneta who know anyone from the cruise or school groups can reach the centre through the city’s standard information line for updates on victim welfare and any road changes that may affect daily port-area travel.
The source for these details is the official Barcelona City Council notice published at https://www.barcelona.cat/infobarcelona/en/tema/security-and-prevention/activada-lalerta-per-a-latencio-de-les-persones-davant-emergencies_1488633.html.