Eight Romanians injured as minibus plunges into ravine in Austria

A serious road accident occurred in Austria on Thursday evening when a minibus carrying eight Romanian citizens overturned and plunged into a roughly 10-meter deep ravine. Five women sustained injuries in the crash.

The minibus, driven by a 36-year-old Romanian man, was traveling on a local road from St. Kosmas towards Brugga. Around 8:00 PM, the driver lost control of the vehicle on a right-hand curve for reasons yet to be determined by investigators. The minibus veered off the road, fell into the ravine, overturned, and came to rest among trees.

All eight occupants managed to exit the vehicle or were assisted out before emergency services arrived. Firefighters from Althofen and Meiselding, along with medical teams and the Red Cross, responded to the scene. Two individuals suffered severe injuries.

One Romanian woman was urgently transported by medical helicopter C11 to the Klagenfurt Accident Emergency Hospital. Four other women, with minor injuries, were taken to Friesach hospital for examination and treatment. Firefighters secured the area and disconnected the vehicle's power supply. Due to the difficult position of the overturned minibus, it could not be immediately recovered.

The Romanian driver tested negative for alcohol. Authorities are continuing their investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the accident. The report also references previous road accidents involving Romanians in Austria, including a fatal incident in August 2025 and another in 2023.