Thirteen students were killed and dozens more injured in Spain Sunday when the driver of their coach lost control and crashed into an oncoming car as they returned from a festival, AFP reports.

The bus was carrying students aged between 20 and 32 - many on a European exchange programme in the northeastern region of Catalonia - from some 20 countries including the UK, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden but also Japan and Peru.

Six of the more than 30 injured were in a critical condition in hospital. All the fatalities were female, according to Jordi Jane, who heads up interior matters for Catalonia, but authorities have yet to announce their nationalities. A spokeswoman for the Italian foreign ministry, however, said there may be Italian nationals among the victims.

There was one Bulgarian citizen among the injured, as well.