Investigation of run-off-the-road accident with a bus on E10 at Åsvatnet in Hadsel

In the afternoon of 26 December 2024, a bus was traveling west on E10, from Narvik bound for Svolvær and Å in Lofoten. The bus belonged to Boreal Norge AS and it was full of passengers. The speed limit was 80 km/h at the site, and strong winds were reported.

Just before the bus was about to pass the intersection with county road 7644 Hanøyveien it went out of the roadway on the right side. The bus then drove through the road railings along Hanøyveien and down a steep slope to the lake Åsvatnet. The bus stopped at the bottom of the slope, leaning over to the right side, with the right front under water. Parts of the ice on Åsvatnet that were crushed in the collision came into the bus.

The investigation will clarify the sequence of events, identify safety issues and map the contributing factors to the accident and the extent of damage. Based on this, the NSIA will assess areas for improving safety.

End position of the bus at the accident site on E10, with the right front in Åsvatnet. Photo: The police

The investigation is still ongoing. Some work remains to be done with quality assurance of factual information, analysis and conclusions before the report can be finalized and published. The investigation is complex, with several involved parties and different investigation themes.

The NSIA has worked on clarifying the sequence of events on the day of the accident, from the start of the bus trip until after the rescue operation was completed. The NSIA has interviewed a number of people, including the bus driver, bus passengers, witnesses and emergency personnel. In addition, the NSIA has had meetings with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA), the contractor, the bus company and the County Council. The NSIA has also sent questionnaires to other bus drivers and to passengers who have not been interviewed. The NSIA has scanned and visited the accident site on a number of occasions and carried out several simulations of the accident. The bus has also been investigated several times.

In addition, the NSIA has obtained a large amount of other factual information in the investigation, including:

• logs from emergency responders and the Traffic Control Centre
• management documents and procedures related to bus transport from Boreal Buss AS
• contract documents related to the bus transport from Nordland County Council
• medical data
• vehicle technical data and data from registration systems in the bus
• information regarding winter maintenance and contract documents from the NPRA
• data regarding road and traffic conditions
• data regarding weather, wind and driving conditions
• police documents

Based on the information gathered, the NSIA is working further on various investigation themes and the interaction between them. The themes being investigated include:

• road geometry and the road’s side terrain
• weather and driving conditions, including assessment of wind and friction
• the road users’ driving behaviour and experience
• bus safety, including damage of the bus construction, survival space and use of seatbelts
• organization, implementation and safety management of bus transport
• framework conditions for safety of bus transport

Even though the themes are being investigated, it is not given that the NSIA will find safety issues that end in safety recommendations within all the themes. It remains to be determined which focus areas the report will contain.

Latest update: 18.12.2025