German high-school students were left "traumatised" after their coach crashed in the eastern Netherlands, the mayor of a nearby municipality said on Monday (August 24) after meeting them.

Sixteen people were injured in the accident and taken to hospital, Oldebroek Mayor Tanja Haseloop-Amsing told Reuters outside a sports hall in Wezep, where uninjured students were taken after the crash.

Haseloop-Amsing said both the students and their parents became very emotional when they realised "what could have happened".

Eight of those injured were seriously hurt, while the others suffered minor injuries, Gelderland police said in a post on X.

The coach, carrying more than 50 people and registered in Austria, crashed near the town of Wezep, about 100 km (62 miles) east of Amsterdam, at around 4 a.m. (0200 GMT) after colliding with a delivery van, whose driver was among the injured.

The A28 motorway was closed in both directions following the accident.

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Students left 'traumatised' after coach crash in Netherlands, mayor says

VIDEO SHOWS: MAYOR OF MUNICIPALITY OF OLDEBROEK, TANJA HASELOOP-AMSING, COMMENTING AFTER COACH CARRYING GERMAN STUDENTS CRASHES

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: FOR MORE FOOTAGE ON THE ACCIDENT, PLEASE SEE EDITS 7392, 7415, 7462.

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: WEZEP, NETHERLANDS (AUGUST 24, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF HALL WHERE UNINJURED STUDENTS WERE TAKEN AFTER CRASH

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYOR OF MUNICIPALITY OF OLDEBROEK, TANJA HASELOOP-AMSING, SAYING:

"When I came into a fire station this morning, I saw people who were traumatized, were emotional. But when the adrenaline was lowered, they were much more emotional. And especially when the parents arrived, then you saw that both the students and the parents realized what could have happened, and there was a lot of crying. Now they are glad when they can go home and go sleep in their own bed because they are tired."

3. VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF HALL WHERE UNINJURED STUDENTS WERE TAKEN AFTER CRASH

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYOR OF MUNICIPALITY OF OLDEBROEK, TANJA HASELOOP-AMSING, SAYING:

"What we know is that in the early morning, 4 o'clock, 4:15, a touring car collided with a minivan and the touring car got on its side. So 58, 59 people were in the touring car and they had to go out. And there were 16 people brought to hospital. At this moment, still four of them are in the hospital and they have to stay overnight."

5. EXTERIORS OF HALL WHERE UNINJURED STUDENTS WERE TAKEN AFTER CRASH

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAYOR OF MUNICIPALITY OF OLDEBROEK, TANJA HASELOOP-AMSING, SAYING:

"Of course, the accident came very unexpected. They were asleep most of the time. They had their shoes off. And there was one girl who was very emotional, and we said, is it because you're hurting? What's going on? And she said, well, I want my suitcase because my, my stuffed animal is still in my suitcase and I miss it. And that's, I think, what shows how these children, because you're 17, 18 and very mature, of course, but still children. And when something impactful like this happens, you want your stuffed animal."

7. EXTERIORS OF HALL WHERE UNINJURED STUDENTS WERE TAKEN AFTER CRASH