Dozens of people have been rushed to hospital after a terrifying bus crash in a highway tunnel in north-east Spain, with three of them fighting for their life.

       The bus was taking around 50 textile workers to a nearby factory, when the accident happened on the C-32 highway about an hour north of Barcelona, according to emergency services.

       Now, around 25 of the passengers have been taken to hospital.

       The bus appears to have hit the sloped edge as it was entering the tunnel and was vaulted upwards until its front came to rest at the top, leaving the vehicle propped diagonally across the entrance to the tunnel.

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       The cause of the crash remains unknown, and local police have launched an official investigation.

       Emergency authorities for the Catalonia region said two people were airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.

       A third person who was also in a critical condition, and six others with less serious injuries, were taken to nearby hospitals in ambulances.

       Emergency services attended to nearly 50 people in total, according to local media reports.

       The accident happened near the seaside town of Pineda de Mar, a holiday resort which is becoming increasingly popular with Brits.

       The northbound carriageway was closed to all vehicles for several hours while officials attended the scene.