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| NATO bombing of a bus near Lužane |
| Location |
Lužane, Kosovo |
| Date |
April 1, 1999 |
| Attack type |
Missile attack |
| Deaths |
39 |
| Perpetrator(s) |
NATO |
-
The Lužane bus bombing occurred on May 1, 1999, when NATO missiles targeting a bridge in Kosovo hit a bus. The vehicle was cut in two by the strike, near Lužane bridge, 20km (12 miles) north of Priština. Reporting the bus attack, Tanjug reported an ambulance sent to the scene was hit in a second Nato strike. It is estimated that some 39 people were killed. One section plunged off the bridge into the river below. The other portion remained burning on the bridge for more than an hour. [1]
The bus (Niš Express) was on a regular express service, linking Priština and Niš.
NATO admitted destroying a civilian bus, saying that the bus appeared after an attacking aircraft released its weapon against the bridge, which it described as a key military route. NATO's Col. Konrad Freytag said: "Unfortunately, after the weapon's release, a bus crossed on the bridge but was not seen by the pilot whose attention was focused on his aim point during weapon trajectory." The Yugoslav government provides forensic detail of the incident in its White Book. Human Rights Watch received photo documentation of the deaths from the Ministry of Health. A precision-guided munition (PGM) was used in the attack. [2]
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