A bus driver in France was declared brain dead Monday after being attacked by several people he reportedly refused to let on board because they had no tickets and were not wearing face masks as required.
Five people were placed in custody on Monday morning, according to the French regional paper Sud Ouest.
The tragic incident happened Bayonne, near the Atlantic resort of Biarritz in southwestern France, on Saturday night when several individuals tried to board the bus without tickets or masks, according union representatives.
When the driver, in his fifties, tried to prevent the people from entering the bus they repeatedly punched him, police sources told French media.
The driver is said to have stepped out of the bus and was subsequently hit in the head by one of the group, according to Sud Ouest newspaper..
The assault resulted in a serious head injury.
The driver was unconscious when brought to hospital, and doctors declared him brain dead on Monday.
Regional bus services were disrupted Monday after several of the driver's colleagues refused to work in protest against the brutal attack.
The drivers present at the protest said the regional transport network company Chronoplus had not done enough to ensure the safety for their drivers.
The police have not officially released a statement about the incident or what sparked it.
Masks are mandatory on public transport across France. Everyone travelling by train, plane, bus or taxi must wear a facial mask, according to the rules set in place by the government to prevent a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases.
The tragic incident happened Bayonne, near the Atlantic resort of Biarritz in southwestern France, on Saturday night when several individuals tried to board the bus without tickets or masks, according union representatives.
When the driver, in his fifties, tried to prevent the people from entering the bus they repeatedly punched him, police sources told French media.
The driver is said to have stepped out of the bus and was subsequently hit in the head by one of the group, according to Sud Ouest newspaper..
The assault resulted in a serious head injury.
The driver was unconscious when brought to hospital, and doctors declared him brain dead on Monday.
Regional bus services were disrupted Monday after several of the driver's colleagues refused to work in protest against the brutal attack.
The drivers present at the protest said the regional transport network company Chronoplus had not done enough to ensure the safety for their drivers.
The police have not officially released a statement about the incident or what sparked it.
Masks are mandatory on public transport across France. Everyone travelling by train, plane, bus or taxi must wear a facial mask, according to the rules set in place by the government to prevent a resurgence in the number of coronavirus cases.
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