Three people have died and eight others are fighting for their lives after a coach carrying tourists crashed into a cliff face in the south west of France. 

The bus smash happened when the coach was driving in darkness close to the Pyrenees ski resort of Porté-Puymorens, near Andorra, and the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle.

It ploughed into the cliff and overturned leaving three passengers dead and eight others - including a four-year-old child - injured. 

More than 100 firefighters and other emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after the crash.     

A local emergency services spokesperson said: 'Five helicopters are involved in an operation to rescue more victims. 

'So far, three people have died, and eight others are in intensive care in nearby hospital.'

They added that the injured four-year-old was one of the casualties in intensive care.

The coach, which was on its way back to its home depot in Barcelona following a day trip to Andorra, was the only vehicle involved in the accident.

It is thought that the driver lost control following a problem with its brakes.

A witness named only at Laurent, an off-duty firefighter, told the Perpignan-based Indépendant news outlet: ‘We were driving behind. He [the driver] had been zigzagging for a kilometer and a half.

‘It seemed like he was trying to rub the barrier, as if he wanted to lose speed, before crashing into the cliff.’

Jean-Philippe Augé, the Mayor of Porté-Puymorens, said: ‘This is a tragedy, and we have to be cautious about the human toll. It could rise overnight.

‘What I can tell you is that the road in question, the RN320, is not known for being particularly accident-prone.

‘It is narrow, of course, and the bend on the descent is a bit sharp, but until now it has never been the cause of accidents of this seriousness’.

Mr Augé said a ‘psychological unit’ had been set up in his town’s holiday centre, to help survivors and their families.

All of those on board the coach had spent the day Christmas shopping in El Pas de la Casa, the Andorran ski resort, which is about 150miles from Barcelona. 

It is understood that most of those onboard were mainly Spanish and Colombian nationals. No other details have yet been released about the dead and injured.

A spokesperson for the local Prefecture said the accident happened around 5pm local time. 

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.'